The Side I Show You
by A Stereotypical Gamer
Summary: Ren invited Blake to a weekly get together, noticing someone who might share in peace and quiet with him. But when the two find themselves alone together, away from their teammates, they find an entirely different side of themselves... a side only for each other. Cover image courtesy of redditor GrapesWithCoffee.
1. Other Sides

**The Side I Show You**

By A Stereotypical Gamer

 **Chapter One: Other Sides**

 _First Semester_

Neither of them expected to end up where they were. Certainly they hadn't expected to end up with each other.

It wasn't in either of their natures to be impulsive; others looked to them to be steadfast and dependable, and were accustomed to their quiet and reserved natures.

But that was when they were with their teams. When they had only the other for company...

Repression needed outlets. Silence needed to break.

* * *

Ren had suggested Blake join them, after observing Blake reading a book titled _How to Deal with Hyperactive Children_ , and subsequently being demolished when she and her teammates attempted to keep up with one of Nora's workouts. Blake had barely even talked to Ren before, but the idea of a quiet weekly get together away from her more energetic cohorts sounded quite appealing.

Though she hadn't realized they'd have company, when she stepped away from their joined dorm rooms and into the study, and found some redheaded student, covered in scars, with featureless white eyes.

"Oh, um... hello," Blake greeted.

He didn't look up to acknowledge her. Ren stepped over to the two, carrying a tray with a kettle and a quartet of cups, setting the collection down on a coffee table between a couch and two armchairs.

"Blake, this is Fox Alistair- he's a second year, assigned to Team CFVY."

CFVY- that was the team Velvet was on. Despite Fox's clearly reserved demeanor, that put Blake more at ease. She had expected to only join Ren and enjoy a little peace and quiet, but knowing this unknown element would be accepting of a Faunus teammate -she assumed, anyway, since he still hadn't actually said anything- made her a little less wary of the setting.

Ren settled in on one of the armchairs, and Fox sat opposite him. Ren took a moment to feel at the edges of the kettle, and then began to pour, carefully measuring each movement so that three glasses had an equal amount of liquid and were left room for modification from sugar, lemon, and cream. He turned over the fourth glass on the tray, and slid the other two across the coffee table with precise movement, each stopping at the edge of the wooden platform before his two guests. The precision reminded Blake of her mother, who'd made tea so many times she'd perfected it to a science.

Blake picked up her cup and stepped over to the couch to sit between the two and get comfortable. Fox simply sat and took a long draught, while Ren had yet to take it in, possibly because he was waiting on his remaining guest.

As Blake looked down into the cup, she collected her thoughts. She might not have agreed to socialize had the circumstances or events been different, but Ren had an unusual sort of magnetism: a sort of unstated reliability that made his presence easy to forget, but his absence noteworthy. Blake wasn't sure she'd ever seen him without Nora before today. She wasn't sure he ever spoke more than a single sentence at a time.

Peace and quiet may have been quite appealing, but sharing it with someone seemed even more so.

Blake took a sip, finding something authentic... something made with leaves, rather than bags. "This is good," she remarked.

Ren smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

Simple and effective. And no need to deviate with chatter. Once Blake had tried it, Ren joined her in quiet, intermittent sips, matching her slow pace. It reminded her of home in Menagerie, just with even _less_ talking. And that suited her fine.

* * *

For three weeks in a row Blake had joined Ren and Fox for tea, and found it an ideal distraction. They hadn't exchanged many words, but Blake didn't mind that. She hadn't learned very much about either boy, but then, she hadn't taken the lead in being very forthcoming either. Each week had been quiet and peaceful, in sharp contrast to Blake and Ren's usual day with Ruby or Yang or Nora's ceaseless prattle.

It seemed they were not alone in those concerns, however, when Blake arrived on the fourth week- she found Fox on the couch this time, with Velvet seated beside him, looking terribly upset. Ren handed her his fourth cup of tea, then discreetly moved aside so the two teammates could interact.

"What's going on?" Blake inquired in a low whisper, but Ren only pointed to the exit. Blake cast a glance back at her drinking buddy and his teammate, then did follow Ren out the door.

"Sorry, that conversation wasn't for our ears," Ren explained.

Blake understood keeping secrets, but she couldn't help but be curious. "Do you know what's wrong?"

"Yes," Ren replied.

Blake cursed her character flaw, but she _really_ wanted to know. "Will you tell me?"

"No," Ren replied.

That was frustrating. Blake thought they'd developed a rapport... "Is it serious?" she tried, allowing herself to express some concern.

"Yes," Ren replied.

Normally, Blake would be grateful for such simplicity and appreciate the directness of it all. Now all she was getting were hints around the edges of some important event. Blake knew it wasn't her business, but it was a secret Ren was privy to. It made her wonder just how many secrets he'd been keeping, and if it had anything to do with why he wasn't so forthcoming.

Ren observed her quiet frustration and curiosity. "Perhaps it's best we reschedule."

Blake might've followed the prudent advice, but returning early would invite her to Yang's scrutiny. "That's all right. Is there any other place we can... I don't know, talk?"

"I have nothing more to say on this matter," Ren flatly replied. "I understand your concerns, but it is their burden to bear."

He'd seen right through her. "All right, fine," Blake conceded.

"We all have our burdens to bear," Ren explained further. "Heavy is the head."

It wasn't like Ren to get so philosophical. It was a shame to lose out on some interesting piece of information, but Ren's word choice seemed... _leading_.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"That is a lovely bow," Ren simply replied.

What did her bow have to do with-

Blake put it together. He knew. He knew something her teammates didn't know. He'd seen right through her disguise.

"How long have you known?" Blake asked, trying not to betray any concern.

"When we were in the Emerald Forest, I saw your ears twitch," Ren answered.

He'd known that long? Blake had been so careful to conceal her ears, and he'd noticed on her _second day_ at Beacon?

"And you never said anything?" Blake asked, genuinely surprised. Ren shook his head. "Not even to your teammates?" Again Ren shook his head.

Blake felt uncomfortable. She fully expected once her secret was out someone would try to extort her, or possibly force her to flee. She'd never expected someone to learn the truth, and not care.

"Can we talk?" Blake inquired.

"If you like," Ren agreed.

There really was only one concern on her mind, but that was almost immediately put at ease. Ren had not betrayed Fox and Velvet's trust. And he'd kept silent about her secret for far longer.

"Or... we don't have to, if you prefer," Blake added, unintentionally averting her eyes.

"Speak or don't," Ren offered. "Either way, I'll listen."

* * *

It began after they saw another pair of friends going through difficulty, interrupting their careful scheduling and throwing the day out of whack. For him, scheduling was meticulous. For her, quiet time was a necessity after extended hours with her rambunctious teammates.

They really should've thanked Velvet for interrupting tea time and drawing Fox away. It left only Blake and Ren to share the quiet and peace.

And then abandon that and express the _other_ sides they'd kept hidden. Now, alone with one another, they could be as they were.

Fox was drawn away by the responsibilities demanded of a second year. Blake and Ren were left to share their tea, and -slowly- more. Once she was certain she could trust him, Blake began talking about her time in the White Fang. She didn't tell him _everything_ –they weren't quite there yet- but she finally had someone to speak to about her past without the need to veil her words. Ren, in turn, told her snippets about his life before Beacon, about the loss of his parents to the Grimm and his close friendship with Nora in the ensuing years.

Normally hearing about how much time he spent with another girl would deter Blake and convince her not to delve too deeply. But Ren had been completely unaffected when she mentioned her own past failed relationship (though she hadn't mentioned him by name) and it hadn't convinced him to stop learning more about her.

Slowly, gradually… they weren't spending time together to share tea and quiet. They looked forward to these meetings more and more, and where before they might've allowed a table and tea set to serve as a divider between them, now they sat beside each other, and drew close.

When Blake took Ren's hand in her own, he did not recoil from her. He squeezed her fingers and held her gaze for a long time.

* * *

Blake had longed for companionship, to be held again as she'd been with Adam, before he'd changed. Unfortunately, the only other choices at Beacon were three jerks, a bigger jerk who bossed them around, and _Jaune_. She hadn't even considered Lie Ren, given how Nora seemed attached to his hip. Now she couldn't imagine life without him, even if only for a few hours a week.

Ren, for his part, was grateful to have someone who shared in his passions. Nora may have been his best friend for nearly a decade, but she had so many likes he did not share, and she was spending more and more time with Ruby and Yang and getting up to various antics. To the extent he could _ever_ escape her grip, a few hours with Blake made a welcome reprieve, and it allowed him to drop his usual stoic facade and unleash emotions he usually kept bottled up.

Blake and Ren seemed to appreciate each other their expressions. Things were getting _quite_ intense.

"You want to stop?" Blake teased, when Ren broke her kiss, and she pushed him further down into the couch cushion, prodding him with her thigh. "Because I won't let you go."

"I just needed air," Ren assured her. "I fully intend to resume the hunt."

"That some kind of anti-Faunus humor?" Blake inquired, only half-joking.

"Oh no," Ren assured her. "I am _quite_ sincere in my desire to catch this kitten and keep her all to myself."

That was what Blake wanted to hear. She moved her head down to nuzzle his shoulder, nipping at his neck along the way. "And will you treat her well?"

"If that's what she wishes," Ren confirmed. "Though I can be a _very_ stern master."

"Show me," Blake requested, in a very soft, but also very _leading_ sort of tone.

Ren reached his arms around the back of Blake's legs and pulled her down, swiftly switching their positions and pinning Blake to the couch. She gasped at first, then couldn't quite suppress her giggle as Ren loomed over her, his face quite close.

Until she noticed his eyes glancing up, past her own, past her forehead. Blake wondered what he was looking at until she noticed a feeling of discomfort atop her head, and looked up herself, to see a strand of her bow come loose and one of her extra ears exposed.

"I'm sorry, I'll-" Blake began, instinctively moving up to adjust and conceal, only for Ren to intercede and take hold of her wrist.

"Don't," he requested.

Blake quite enjoyed the feel of his hand, but would not be deterred. "Ren, please... someone might see-"

"Yes," Ren agreed. " _I_ might see you as you are. Nothing would make me happier."

Blake was terrified of the prospect. She'd done everything in her power to keep her ears hidden. Even from her team. Even from him.

Gently, Ren let go of her wrist and moved his hand to grasp the black cloth dangling down from atop Blake's head. He met her eyes again, waiting. He wanted to take the step... but he waited for her to take that step with him.

Blake had never intended to do this. But she did long to be free, and Ren wanted to bear witness to it. She reached up her hand, willing away any anxiety, not letting him see her fingers shake as she took hold of the strands with him. Slowly, together, they undid the bow and let her ears loose.

For several seconds Ren looked upon them, looking so long it made Blake start to feel very self-conscious. Even more self-conscious than she'd been with this boy literally atop her.

"Not quite what you expected?" Blake gently asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Not what I expected," Ren confirmed. "But exactly what I wished for."

Blake looked up at him as Ren met her eye again, smiling. "All I wished for, Blake, was to see you as you are." He placed his hand over hers', still clutching her black bow in case she needed to hastily reapply it. "Thank you for letting me see you."

Meeting his eyes, feeling his hand in her own, hearing his words... Blake suddenly devoted no thoughts at all to concealing her Faunus nature. She pushed Ren back, reversing their positions again and pressing him down into the couch as she sat atop him.

"And do you like what you see?" Blake asked, finding her confidence again, feeling the need to egg him on and bring out the beast _he_ was hiding within to match her.

"More than anything I have ever seen," Ren promised her.

Blake smiled. She could get used to hearing such praise. With both sets of ears.

She leaned down to kiss him again. At some point in exchanging furor with him, her bow slid out of her hand and drifted down to the floor. For the moment, Blake had no more need of it. She would not squander this opportunity to be who she was.

* * *

They hid it well from the others, putting on their masks and hiding away their voices. They had their weekly meetings, and it gave them each an outlet for the fury they would otherwise determinedly seal away. They'd strictly adhere to the façade the rest of the time, never betraying any interest in the other, save they tended to praise one another when asked for their opinion.

It was second nature for them to sneak, and it was fun and exciting to do so, to keep their teammates in the dark. But eventually, inevitably, living in close quarters and surrounded by people more talkative than they were…

"Hey, Velvet mentioned Fox never goes to those tea meetings anymore," Ruby pointed out to Blake while Blake was organizing her bookshelf. "Is it just you and Ren at those things?"

"Yeah," Blake replied, trying her best to sound neutral.

"What do you guys talk about?" Ruby inquired. She was an innocent one. Blake had no doubt she was motivated by curiosity, and would be happy to indulge her. The only problem was she and Ren didn't spend very much time _talking_.

"Nothing really," Blake answered, accidentally mixing up the order of her _The Man with (X) Souls_ series, though it seemingly went unnoticed.

"So, what, you just drink tea the whole time?" Ruby asked, perplexed.

"Ren isn't really the talkative type," Blake explained. "And we don't actually have that many interests in common…"

She'd tried to get him into the novel series she was reading, but Ren far preferred reading history or biography to fiction. But then, Blake hadn't had much use for some of her romance novels lately, given the alternative available.

"Huh," Ruby mused, stroking her chin, "Weird. If it wasn't Ren, I'd swear you were just using the whole tea thing as an excuse to sneak off with a guy."

Blake felt her blood run cold as she glanced back, the book in her hand sliding out from her fingers and clattering to the floor. "What?" It was the only word she could manage.

Above them in her bunk bed, Yang rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Rubes- as though anyone could pry Ren from Nora's grip."

"I know, I know," Ruby acknowledged. "I just don't get why Blake's always so keen to hang out with him when they don't actually _do_ anything."

Blake tried to compose herself as she picked up her lost book and found it a place. Ruby didn't _seem_ to have made the connection, but Blake needed to put her off the trail before someone more insidious built on her reasoning. She played it off. "I like Ren quite a lot," Blake explained to Ruby. "But I can't really explain why."

"Yeah, who can?" Yang agreed, "I've heard him say like, six sentences since we met." It seemed that she'd completely missed the point, exactly as Blake intended. Ruby nodded along, and Blake returned to busying herself with her book collection.

She wanted to explain why. She wanted her friends to know about the guy she liked, to share their thoughts, to celebrate alongside her. But what exactly was there to say? That she liked him precisely because he was quiet? Because he was keeping her secrets?

She didn't want to tell them it was just because he was good at things besides talking. Word would spread across the hall, and then things might get… tense.

* * *

"Does Nora know?" Blake asked, as she and Ren lay cuddled up on the couch, the tea set having gone unused, as tended to be the case now.

"No," Ren answered. "I've never mentioned it to her."

" _Should_ you tell her?" Blake inquired.

"Have you told _your_ team?" Ren asked.

"I asked you first," Blake countered, a little too quickly. "And she's your best friend. She _must_ have noticed something by now."

"She knows that I need time alone," Ren explained. "A few hours a week she can manage. It helps that she's become so close with Ruby and Yang."

That wasn't the answer Blake was looking for. "Are you going to tell her? Or Jaune or Pyrrha?"

"Why are we talking about this?" Ren asked, glancing curiously down at her. "Do you think they'd disapprove?"

"No!" Blake replied, a little too quickly. "I mean… I'm just thinking we should let them in on it. We should tell our friends."

Ren brought a hand to the top of Blake's head, to caress her second set of ears. "We should."

Blake enjoyed his touch for a moment, before she caught up and realized what he was implying. She hastily shook her head, and reached down to the floor to find her bow. Ren followed after her, catching hold of her wrist. This time, Blake didn't let him stop her. She pulled the bow back on and sat up, taking the time to adjust it and get it right.

"Blake," Ren began, but he didn't follow up. He watched her conceal her true nature, burying it away again. He withdrew his hand, retreating from her, leaving her to her own devices.

"We're not done talking about this," Blake assured him. "But later. Not right now."

"Yes," Ren agreed, much more withdrawn than he'd allowed himself to be with her. It seemed that just as Blake had buried away a side of herself, so too had he. They each put up their defenses, each strapped on their masks and hid away.

"I-I'm going to go find my friends," Blake explained as she stood up. "Weiss wanted to go into town today, and I promised I wouldn't be too long."

It wasn't a lie. But it was the first half-truth she'd told him in a _very_ long time. The first time she'd ever felt compelled not to share with him all of herself.

Blake departed without another word. Ren looked down at the unused cups on the table, and poured himself some tea.

It was cold. It had been long-neglected, and now he was paying the price for ignoring it so long. Ren couldn't help but find that fitting as he sat alone with his thoughts and his bitter drink.

* * *

JNPR's dorm was one of the first places they tried. When he heard "Blake's gone", Ren at once volunteered to help find her. No one found that suspicious. No one was surprised he would offer them his help. No one thought he had an ulterior motive.

But while his friends searched, Ren merely waited. Blake had not gone far; she merely made it _appear_ as though she had. When the remainder of Team RWBY found transport to Vale, Ren convinced his teammates to try the borders of the school, towards the Emerald Forest or the waterfall. Ren himself went no further than the courtyard.

Sure enough, he found her standing at the base of Beacon tower, before the monument of fallen huntsmen. Blake was deep in thought, her expression pained as she ran a gamut of emotions. Ren had not been privy to what had motivated her to flee from her friends, but it had clearly affected her deeply.

He was stunned to see her reach up to unclasp her bow, to reveal her ears. Ren wasn't sure he'd ever see her do that in a public place.

Now seemed the ideal time to speak to her, to convince her she would be safe, that she wouldn't need to keep this secret… he could reassure her, he could be with her as her support every step of the way.

When he saw Blake wipe away a tear, Ren opened his mouth to speak, only to hear: "I _knew_ you would look better without the bow."

Blake's eyes widened as she turned. A Faunus boy with a yellow monkey tail stepped over to her, seemingly appearing from nowhere. Ren wasn't sure who he was, but Blake seemed to know him, and more importantly, didn't seem threatened by his presence.

He watched quietly as they exchanged quiet words, and then headed off. Ren briefly thought to follow them, but something staid his hand, as he reasoned that Blake already had someone to confide in.

Someone other than himself.

He hated that thought. He hated that selfish sense of entitlement, and so did not allow himself to pursue her. She was safe, and that was the important thing. He should tell their friends what he'd discovered, and try to put their minds at ease.

It would only be a few words. Just as no one was surprised at the efforts made to help, no one would be surprised that he had very little to say about what he'd found.

* * *

Ren was in the JNPR dorm when Team RWBY returned, whole and reunited. Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora expressed their relief and welcomed Blake back to the fold. When Ren met her eye, he smiled and stated he was glad she had returned. Blake smiled back, each of them wearing their masks, putting on a show for their friends.

And each other.

Ren made no assumptions about what the Faunus boy was to Blake, or what exactly had gone on in her team to reach this point, but it seemed whatever part of herself Blake buried around the others she buried in front of Ren now too.

Something in her past had come calling, and it had deterred her from letting her other side free. Ren knew what that meant.

When the week reached its end, he prepared his tea set and waited, more out of habit than anything else. He poured himself a cup and waited, catching up on some homework he'd left late while his attention had been… elsewhere.

He waited to see if she would return, but as the time whittled away, Ren accepted things had changed. Whatever distance Blake had sought from her teammates before she was now seeking to close. That was progress. That was good for her. Hopefully, it'd make her happy.

He'd have to try and be happy for her. A lot had changed for her, and he would try not to divert her attention while it was focused on something positive.

* * *

The first semester had allowed her to open up more than she'd ever expected. Now Blake's friends knew about her past, and accepted her in spite of it. Now they knew she was a Faunus, and it hadn't changed their opinion of her at all. Even with Yang constantly trying to scratch her and distract her with laser pointers, Blake couldn't help but feel a great burden alleviated now that she wasn't hiding who she was from her friends.

Though, now, it seemed, she was hiding something else… some part of herself she'd only ever shared with two others.

She never realized it was possible to be lonely when she was never alone. Yet she was, because the nice boy who invited her to tea was drinking alone, and she couldn't find a reason to rejoin him and share a glass.

Maybe that too was just a remnant of her past now. Ren wasn't likely to bring it up; she could count on him to keep her secrets.

They were still friends.

Weren't they?

"Not going to your tea party this week?" Yang teased from the bunk bed, while Blake organized her bookshelf below.

"No, not this week," Blake confirmed. "Things have been a bit crazy, you know?"

"Oh, totally," Yang agreed. "I'm sure Ren understands."

That was the worst part. Blake was certain he did too.

She'd seen a part of him no one else had. He'd seen her in a way she wished no one but someone she deeply cared for to see. That bound them together. That made him impossible to completely extricate from her thoughts.

She should explain things to him. Or at least join him for tea, even if they did nothing else but share peace and quiet. Even if they never… showed each other their other sides again.

Blake couldn't do it. Her instinct was to run from him, even when he'd done nothing to wrong her. Even when he'd supported her without ever saying a word. Maybe she could do the same for him, to show him some encouragement, some sign of affection or reconciliation.

She couldn't manage even that. She just wanted it all to fade away, like the rest of her past.

No one would notice. No one would know but the two of them.

Somehow that thought did nothing to make her feel any better about it.


	2. Not Now

**Chapter Two: Not Now**

 _Second Semester_

No one ever wanted to fight against their friends. But when Weiss's honor needed defending, Ruby rallied the troops. When Nora proclaimed herself queen, Team RWBY joined together to fight for the ideals of liberty, while JNPR manned the battlements in defense of their beloved monarch.

"Justice will be swift!" Ruby promised, pointing forward to show the strength of her proclamation. "Justice will be painful! It will be delicious!"

"YEAH!" Weiss, Blake, and Yang cheered in unison, primed for battle.

"Off with their heads!" Nora commanded. Ren was the first into the breach, letting loose the watermelon bombardment, followed soon after by the rest of his team. Ruby ordered Yang into the fray, and with the aid of makeshift poultry gauntlets the blonde bruiser set to work intercepting the volleys. Ren was the swiftest member of his team, and prepared to intervene and put a stop to Yang's turkey-powered counterattack…

…until Blake leapt in to assist her partner. Ren could do nothing but watch as she cut the watermelons aside with loaves of bread, tearing physics asunder through sheer determination. Ren could've intervened then, but he couldn't summon the willpower. All he could do was watch Blake as she rushed into the heat of battle.

Pyrrha moved in instead, meeting Blake in single combat. Ren refocused his attention to Yang. It wasn't an ideal matchup for him, but Ren could hold her off, and fight her without being distracted.

That was, until Weiss sprayed the floor with ketchup, causing Ren to trip over his own feet, quite uncharacteristically crashing through seats and tables. He recovered quickly and moved into battle, though he imagined the sight of him tumbling through furniture did not endear him to her.

To _her_ …?

Then Yang hit him with a turkey and things kind of went downhill from there.

Ren was out of it for most of what followed, but the fighting continued until Ruby activated her Semblance and caught Team JNPR in a big tornado of soda cans and Professor Goodwitch came in looking quite cross and then Yang fell through the ceiling; apparently Nora had knocked her up so far Yang had hit _terminal velocity_ on the way down. Even covered in ketchup and soda, Ren caught the infectious good mood of his friends, as everyone shared a laugh at their antics. Ren cast a glance over at Team RWBY as Yang gave Professor Goodwitch an enthusiastic thumbs-up, and briefly met Blake's amber eyes.

She looked away from him. After waiting a few seconds and realizing she was quite determinedly avoiding his gaze, Ren stopped trying to catch her eye. It seemed this good mood everyone was in hadn't suddenly prompted her to return to her favorable opinion of him.

He suspected it was over between them when she stopped joining him for tea. Now he was certain of it.

When he saw Sun Wukong -the Faunus boy Blake had bonded with last semester- greet her and saw Blake's spirits noticeably lift in his presence, it only reinforced that belief.

He and Blake had never had to share many words, and what little communication she offered made her perspective clear. Whatever they had was in the past for her. Ren should've made the same assessment, and simply tried to be happy that his friend was happy with someone else.

That was all she was. That was all he was to her. In the grand scheme of things, it wouldn't be so bad if that was all they considered each other to be.

Eventually, when he looked at her smiling at Sun Wukong, it wouldn't hurt.

* * *

That day didn't come quickly, however. RWBY and JNPR still spent a great deal of time together, and though Ren tried not to let it bother him, he found himself becoming even more quiet and reserved and distracted himself with studies. Nobody ever expected him to have much to say anyway, but Blake had spent enough time with him to recognize the subtle differences in his demeanor. Unfortunately, she didn't offer any words to counteract him. She didn't even acknowledge the difference, pretending to be as oblivious to him as the rest of her teammates.

But she wasn't the only one who'd been around Ren long enough to notice a difference in his behavior, subtle though it was. Nora began eyeing him suspiciously, noting that even with Lie Ren it was possible for him to be _too_ quiet. On their way to a study session in the library, Nora pulled Ren aside and quite bluntly inquired: "Okay, what is it?"

"What's what?" Ren asked, before he'd inferred her motivation.

"You've been acting weird lately," Nora didn't offer any more explanation than that. For her thought process, that was sufficient.

"I'm… not sure what you mean," Ren replied.

She knew his tells. She alone recognized when he was deliberately withholding information. Nora's expression soured. "Why are you lying to me?"

"I-"

"You _never_ lie to me," Nora noted. "Whatever this is, it's serious." Nora glanced at Jaune and Pyrrha, the distance separating them becoming noticeable. She pointed a finger in Ren's face. "We're not done talking about this." She then took hold of his wrist and dragged him after their teammates, skipping along in her bubbly, upbeat way.

Though with how firmly she held onto him, Ren suspected he wouldn't get to escape her eye now. She wanted to comprehend, to understand what was going on in his life. That Nora _didn't_ know every little detail about his life after coming to Beacon was probably driving her mad, because it was completely counter to how she'd always interacted with him; without secrets, without doubts.

It was a touching display from a dear friend. And Ren couldn't respond to it.

He didn't worry about what she'd think. He just didn't want her to abruptly turn on Blake once she learned how things ended.

Fortunately, Nora's watchful eye was only as vigilant as the mouth below it, and a lack of pancakes led to Nora dozing off in the library, sleeping so soundly Ren easily piled pages of his textbook on her head while Team RWBY played a board game while making many loud and dramatic proclamations. Despite sitting only a few feet away from Blake, Ren had a suitable distraction, burying himself in his studies… and indulging in a bit of amusement watching Jaune completely fail to woo Weiss with his confident assertions he could win on her behalf, despite Weiss's dire position after she fell into an obvious trap.

Until he slipped up and mentioned how Weiss had blabbed to him about Blake's Faunus nature, souring Blake's already grim mood. Ren didn't look over, keeping his head buried in the book, trying to appear aloof and detached; trying not to meet Blake's eye.

Then Sun Wukong entered the fray, dispelling the awkward silence and catching everyone's attention. "'Sup, losers?"

"Hey, Sun," Ruby greeted fondly. Blake said nothing, but her mood had noticeably improved upon his arrival, with her grim expression turning more neutral, and out of the corner of his eye Ren saw her suppress a smile.

"Ruby, Yang, Blake… ice queen," Sun waved. Ren clenched his fist, but no one seemed bothered by the way he crumpled the parchment.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?!"

Sun ignored Weiss's protest, playing things off. "I never got a chance to formally introduce you to my old friend." He turned his head towards a blue-haired boy at his right, who seemed to catch the attention of the other three girls… but not Blake. Her eyes were still on Sun.

"Uh, aren't libraries for reading?" the blue-haired boy inquired.

It gave Ren a chance to express his festering emotion. "THANK YOU!"

Everyone glanced briefly his way, only to immediately return focus to Sun and his friend, who introduced himself as Neptune. If they were surprised by his outburst, they didn't stay so for long. The only noteworthy event that followed him throwing up his arms and shouting was Nora awakening from her slumber, muttering about pancakes.

Neptune immediately seemed enamored with Weiss, who didn't seem to mind the attention. Sun attempted to engage Blake in conversation, while Blake narrowed her eyes across the table, briefly meeting Ren's gaze. Apparently he hadn't gone as unnoticed by her as he'd been by the others.

Blake excused herself, perhaps a little too abruptly. Sun watched her depart, perplexed, and Ren turned to glance back at Nora as she roused from her slumber, catching only the tail end of things. As Ren's attention was focused on her rather than Blake, Nora seemed to miss the subtle looks she'd cast his way.

"Women," Nora mused, throwing up her hands.

* * *

Ren checked out the books and offered to haul them back to the dorm room while Jaune and Pyrrha continued to study, as they'd spent a bit too much time reading comic books. Team RWBY invited Sun to play their board game with them, and Nora, while not keen to let Ren leave her side for long, was distracted by seeing a frustrated Yang suffer defeat and he was able to slip through her fingers.

As he returned to his dorm and fumbled to unlock the door while managing a heavy load of books, he glanced across the hall to the RWBY dorm, its door ajar, where Blake lay on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. For a moment Ren paused to look at her, standing outside his door with a heavy load of books.

Eventually Blake became aware she was being watched and leaned upwards, looking across the hall at him. For several moments they just stared at each other.

Blake stood up and walked to the door, still holding his gaze. Again they just stared at one another, frozen in time.

Until Blake wordlessly shut the door, disappearing from view. Whatever thoughts she'd had Ren was not privy to. Whatever she might've said she'd preferred to keep to herself.

They'd never needed to exchange many words. And Ren understood her point.

* * *

Nora hadn't bothered him for a few days with any serious talk. Ren wondered if perhaps she was waiting for him to explain things to her rather than try to force his hand, and his silence was only delaying an inevitable, painful confrontation. The only problem was he had nothing new to tell her; nothing had really changed.

Team RWBY was planning something for the weekend; some misadventure for just their team to share. Without Yang and Ruby to distract Nora with hijinx and shenanigans, Ren suspected she'd broach the subject of his detachment sooner rather than later.

Jaune and Pyrrha went off to train, leaving just Ren and Nora in the dorm. Though she pretended to study, keeping her nose buried in a book, her eyes kept moving off the page as she glanced over at Ren, again and again, unable to remove him from her line of sight.

Ren sighed and steeled himself. "What is it, Nora?"

"You know what it is," Nora reminded him.

Ren was silent for several seconds as he thought about what to say. "I'm not sure what you want to hear."

"The truth," Nora flatly replied.

"That's the thing," Ren argued. "It's… complicated."

It really wasn't. It was very simple. He liked a girl. They had a thing once. She'd moved on. He hadn't, though he'd tried to. If he told Nora _any_ of that she'd do whatever she could if she thought it'd make Ren feel better, and the last thing he wanted was to drag anyone else into this mess. Nora wasn't one for subtlety, and if she got involved, all of RWBY and JNPR would get involved. They'd have to choose sides and discuss some uncomfortable details.

At the moment no one knew but Ren and Blake. And there was harmony. Harmony for everyone but him.

"Well, come on, spill," Nora insisted. "It's a girl, right? It's gotta be a girl."

She was always asking for Ren's opinion on the other girls, even though Ren never expressed much interest to her. He'd praised Pyrrha and Team RWBY at every turn, and been careful not to praise Blake more than any of her teammates.

"Is it one of those girls from Haven that Ruby bumped into? They were both pretty," Nora suggested. She was searching for a reaction, trying to get him to reveal the truth without him needing to speak it aloud. She was searching for his tell.

The visitors from Haven… Ren hadn't even realized. He was normally very observant, but now he was distracted. Now he was caught unaware, because the only person on his mind had been Blake. And Sun, when he was around, to focus his anger upon.

He was so angry. The beast within him had been repressed for so long, forced down again and again without release, growing louder and more frustrated. Blake had found her outlet, and she no longer needed him to provide for her. His rage had no outlet.

"Nora…" Ren began, drawing her attention and cutting through her chatter. He tried to explain everything, to confide in her, to help alleviate her anguish and his own by letting her in on the secret.

But it was Blake's secret. Not his to share. Not even with his best friend in the world. Just as he hadn't been the one to reveal Blake's true nature, he would not be the one to reveal what other side of herself she'd hidden away.

"I don't want to talk about this," Ren finally said.

"Aw, come on!" Nora protested. "This is clearly bothering you; I just want to hel-"

Too much noise. It exacerbated the anger.

"Not now," Ren said, trying to remain calm.

"But Ren, I just think you need to-"

"NOT NOW!" Ren snapped. It was not in him to even raise his voice. Nora was stunned by his outburst, raising a hand over her mouth.

Ren gathered up his books and headed for the door. "I'm… I'm sorry, I just- I… I need to go."

At least it wasn't another lie. At least that jumbled mess was the truth. He did need to be away from her, before he said something unkind. Before this beast within him forced itself further out and tainted her perception of him further.

As he stormed down the hall, Ren cursed the day he'd ever invited Blake to tea. He cursed himself for ever letting loose the seal on this monster dwelling within. He cursed Blake for finding someone else.

He tried to remind himself that she was his friend, and he was wrong to behave this way. He tried to rationalize this as a personal failing, as an inability to accept change, even when that change had been to Blake's benefit.

All that did was remind him that for Blake to move forward she had to leave him behind.

* * *

Team RWBY had quite a misadventure that through a strange series of coincidences led them to doing battle against the White Fang, allied with the criminal Roman Torchwick. Ren hadn't been privy to the events, but hearing them secondhand he'd learned how they, together with Sun and Neptune, had rooted out some major conspiracy going on in Vale.

And when he saw Blake again, in class and sitting across the table with her team, he saw her looking increasingly haggard, just as she'd been at the end of the last semester. Her teammates closed ranks around her, and Ren suspected they knew more about what ailed her than they let on.

He'd have offered his help had they requested it. Jaune and Pyrrha felt similarly, but they didn't take it as a slight. Nora kept up the appearance of being upbeat, though eventually the others began to notice slightly less spring in her step. Nora played it off, never betraying her concerns for Ren. Team RWBY's attention quickly shifted from this massive criminal conspiracy to the forthcoming dance, as Weiss and Yang took over responsibility for organizing the extracurricular event while Team CFVY were stuck on an away mission. Ren briefly mused how different life would be if it had only ever been he and Fox sharing tea.

Ren's guilt over having lashed out at Nora may not have made for a pleasant thought, but at least it distracted him from what had been left behind by Blake dominating his mind. He needed to make amends with her; to try and mend whatever pain he'd personally caused. That he was taking so long just to speak to her again was only making things worse.

He needed to clear his head of these troublesome thoughts. He went to the gym to get a long workout in, to keep in shape for the upcoming tournament, then went in search of a long shower.

He didn't need to be tied to a few days from the prior semester. Blake had found a way to live peacefully with her other side, and all he needed to do was find a balance, to keep himself calm and directed. Getting back in sync with his oldest friend and sharpening his battle skills seemed an ideal way to find that balance.

* * *

Blake thought Sun understood her. A dance? Who could possibly think about a dance at a time like this? Why did _anyone_ think it was important when the kingdom of Vale was being threatened? They may have just been students, but they knew who their enemies were. They could've intervened, maybe prevented whatever schemes Roman Torchwick had in the works. And then her friends tried to persuade her to attend too. What was with everyone's skewed priorities?

As was so often the case, she struck out on her own. She didn't want to be around Ruby or Yang and their infuriatingly upbeat natures. She didn't want to hear Weiss scold her about school or social expectations. She didn't want to indulge Sun's childish antics or his obvious crush. She just wanted to be alone.

And being alone while she was angry and frustrated… that only intensified her bad mood. That only roused the beast that had slumbered for so long, seeking an outlet for all that wrath she'd managed to keep subdued.

There was an easy solution to that. She just hadn't thought it'd ever be necessary again.

But the monster dwelling within was awake now, and the more she thought of how her friends had irked her, the more violent became its motions under her skin. She knew how to alleviate these tremors. She knew how to soothe the savage beast.

Only two others had ever seen it. She hadn't intended to show either of them ever again.

But then, Blake had done a lot of things she never intended to do.

* * *

He was distracted by conflicting emotions, but driven to clear his head and focused on simple and basic tasks. That made him easy prey. She was motivated by raw emotion, but steady in her pursuit and clear on her objective. That made her an efficient hunter.

Ren did as he'd intended, making his way to the showers after an intense regimen. Blake carefully scouted the location, and once she was sure she would not be interrupted, stepped in and waited for her opportunity to seize him.

She was not feeling patient. Were his wits about him, Ren would've easily heard her coming. But somewhere between his tortured thoughts and the steady sound of running water, he missed hearing her soft footstep.

When he turned through the cascade of water and saw her amber eyes, his first thought was that he beheld some delusion; some manifestation of his lust and guilt emerging from the steam in the shower room.

"Blake," Ren whispered, trying to convince himself what he was seeing was real. His doubt was assuaged when she took hold of his wrist, pulling him towards her with a fervor, dragging his sopping wet form out into the tiled hall.

Blake reached up, placing her hands on either of his cheeks before leaning in to kiss him.

At first Ren had no idea how to react. He knew how he _wanted_ to respond, but he'd never expected this to happen again. And while this might calm the beast for a moment, reminding it of this would only make its hunger grow in the future.

Ren tried not to surrender to impulse. He tried to be rational, tried to escape from what assailed him from within. Ren pulled back from her kiss. "Why are you doing this? Why now?"

Blake looked at him longingly. Her eyes were pained. Her lips were quivering. Her hands were shaking. "Ren," she whispered.

She wasn't in a good place. He should've tried to dissuade her, tried to find out what had led her to this moment rather than give in to such base urges.

Then she reached up to unclasp her bow, setting loose her ears. She reached to unbutton her vest, then to her white undershirt. Just as she saw all of him, he again saw all of her.

"No words," Blake requested.

Ren complied.

* * *

Ren watched as Blake adjusted her coattails and zipped up her shorts. He didn't respond to her motions until she moved to tie the ribbon of her bow, to seal away her ears again. Only then did he intervene, standing up and reaching to her wrist, only for Blake to pull her arm away and continue her work.

Once again she was hiding. For a brief moment she'd been herself, but once again she put up the mask. Ren sighed as he withdrew his hand from her. "Should I assume nothing has changed then?"

The words hurt more than he'd thought. He hadn't expected her to suddenly turn around and take him back, but vocalizing his thoughts made them all the more real.

And then, of course, Blake confirmed his suspicion. "Nothing's changed."

Before she'd been lost in his eyes. Now she didn't even look at him. Even standing feet away from him, she was separated by a great and impenetrable distance.

"I understand," Ren tried to assure her. Blake finished adjusting her attire and stood with her back to him, no doubt searching for the words to excuse her departure. For several long and awkward seconds they stood there, not speaking.

The beast in Ren may have been pacified, but he was still frustrated by her. He wanted to say so many things, to vent, to explain, to just ask why things had to be as they were. His emotions were welling up again, and any hope of achieving that calm, balanced emotional state was lost.

He reached over to tap her shoulder, to draw her attention. He reined in all that he wanted to say, trying instead to compose a message of friendship, or encouragement, or at least assurance he had never betrayed her trust.

When he tapped her shoulder his hand passed right through her flesh. When he reached with a second hand 'Blake' crumpled to dust and dissipated, her shadow clone vanishing at his touch. He wasn't sure how long she'd remained to indulge him, but once again she'd decided to move on before Ren realized she was done with him.

He was very far off his game. He was so distracted he couldn't see what had literally been right in front of him.

He needed another shower. With colder water.

* * *

Ren was on his way back to the dorm, clad in only a towel, when Jaune took hold of his wrist and firmly declared: "We need to talk!"

Ren briefly wondered if he'd been found out. If Jaune had noticed why he'd been gone so long or seen Blake head to the boy's showers. When Jaune told Nora to cover her ears with headphones so they could talk man-to-man, Ren was certain he'd been found out.

"Ren… I'm just gonna come out and say it," Jaune began.

Ren sensed danger. If Jaune knew the truth, soon everyone else would.

"You… are one of my best friends," Jaune continued. "These past few months I feel like we've really bonded. Even though… you don't say much. I mean you're _really_ quiet. To be perfectly honest, I don't know that much about you personally, but darn it, I consider you the brother I never had!"

Ren wasn't quite sure where this was going, but he could return the kind sentiment. "And I you."

But then Jaune sought advice about his own girl troubles, rather than broach the topic of where Ren had been. Ren was actually pleased Jaune's attention was elsewhere, and so Ren tried to reach for his clothes while his team leader prattled on about his own inadequacy when he asked: "How did you and Nora…?"

Ren would normally have answered that with ease and corrected Jaune's misconception. But he'd been so distracted trying to reach for his clothes he only managed a few noncommittal grunts. Fortunately, Nora chose to intervene. "Ahem." She laughed nervously and went on to explain: "We're not actually _together_ together."

"Nora. I said headphones on!" Jaune snapped. Nora squeaked and complied, leaving Ren to witness their antics.

Once again, Nora had come to his aid. She sensed things were amiss, and unlike Jaune, seemed to have no problems of her own clouding her vision.

He still needed to make amends with her… so after Pyrrha joined the conversation and encouraged Jaune to earnestly pursue his romantic interest, Ren found the time to clothe and turn his attention to his oldest friend.

"There are a lot of things I'd like to tell you," Ren explained, out of Pyrrha's earshot, "but the important thing to note is how you've been there for me throughout."

She'd need more than that eventually. For now, he hoped a sincere showing would be enough. "I'm sorry for how I acted before. I just… I'd never dealt with this problem before, and I didn't want to drag you down with me when I was in such a bad place."

He needed to demonstrate not only remorse, but contrition. He needed to raise her spirits too, to put her mind at ease, even if his own remained muddled. "Were you planning on going to the dance this weekend?"

Nora may not have had all the details she'd been craving about Ren's mysterious ailment, but she had something much better to occupy her thoughts now. When she broke into a broad smile, Ren knew he'd made some progress in his atonement.

He only wished his step forward hadn't been immediately preceded by so many steps back.

* * *

Yang had dragged Blake away from the library to an empty classroom, and the two had a long conversation. Yang opened up to Blake about her past, about secrets Blake honestly suspected even Ruby didn't know, about Yang's real mother, about her search, about anguish she had buried and hidden from them.

When Blake had initially lashed out at her, Yang had turned angry, her eyes burning red as she pushed Blake back, reminding her of her weakness, of how out of her depth she'd be in chasing after Roman Torchwick in her current state.

Then Yang stopped shoving her and pulled Blake into a tight hug, and whispered: "I'm not asking you to stop. Just please… get some rest."

Yang pulled back, her eyes returning to their beautiful lilac. "Not just for you. But for the people you care about. And if you feel like coming out tomorrow, I'll save you a dance."

Yang left Blake to think on that, leaning up against the professor's desk in the empty lecture hall.

Whom did she care about?

Her friends. Yang, Weiss, Ruby, Nora, Pyrrha, Jaune, and Sun. She'd been so distant from them, so frustrated by their desire to enjoy their youth because Blake had spent so much time trying to be the adult fighting the harshness and inequality of the world.

She was pushing them all away. And for what? Because they wanted her to share in these simple pleasures with them and fight the bad guys _after_ they had a fun weekend for a change? Because they didn't want to be focused on fighting against evil a _ll_ the time?

They were only trying to help. Even if she didn't want to acknowledge it, even if she didn't completely share their perspectives, Blake understood that.

And Sun… he'd been so kind to her, and she wouldn't mind dancing with him. Or dancing with Yang.

Or with…

Blake shook her head. What happened earlier… what happened last semester… that wasn't who she was. That was some remainder of her old self, something darker and more monstrous than her friends believed she could be.

And once more, the beast within was subsumed, and she wished only to be beside her friends. Torchwick may have been up to something, but she didn't think he'd be able to conquer Vale in a weekend. The White Fang may have lost their way, but her friends didn't begrudge her for having fought under their banner before.

Life was good. She was where she wished to be, and set for a fun outing with her friends.

And that other side of her… well, it had seen its last day outside its cage. If she'd been less impulsive, she may well have been able to forget it completely after today.

Just another memory of her past life now. Just another thing to put behind her.

Ren… he understood that, didn't he? He understood that she'd just… _used_ him. He kept her secrets, even when it caused him pain. Those looks he'd sent her way had stopped before today. He knew that he was her past.

Today was the last gasp of her old self. Ren may or may not have known it then, but he'd been the last witness to the beast within her.

Blake promised herself it was the last time. She promised herself she'd find time to thank Ren for all he'd done for her, and assure him he was still her dear friend.

Promises, promises.


	3. The Man with Two Souls

**Chapter Three: The Man with Two Souls**

 _The Previous Semester_

Not every tea meeting resulted in Ren and Blake unleashing what they'd otherwise kept pent up. Sometimes they genuinely sought peace and quiet, to find a reprieve from their more energetic cohorts. They each appreciated the opportunity to rest, and show their affection for one another in more subtle ways. While cuddled up against Ren's midsection, Blake kept nipping at him to draw his attention, while Ren attempted to wait her out by actually drinking his tea for a change.

Eventually, however, Blake's persistence paid off and he acknowledged her, though he played it cool: "Something on your mind?"

"I wanted you to read something," Blake explained, reaching down to the floor beside the couch and hoisting up one of her books. "It's one of my favorites… and I grabbed it today because it reminded me of you."

Ren did not share Blake's taste in literature, but he attempted to indulge her nonetheless. "What's it about?"

"It's about a man with two souls," Blake explained, becoming more enthusiastic. "He has two sides at war within himself, pulling him in multiple directions."

Ren cast her a coy smile. "Is that an invitation?"

Blake averted his gaze for a moment, then whispered back, just as coy: "Maybe."

While her head was turned away, Ren leaned in to kiss her exposed neck. Blake moaned, reaching her hands to either of his shoulders, pressing the book against his right side. As she didn't seem to be actively deterring him, Ren pushed her down into the couch, still working on her neck.

"There is no doubt in my soul now," Ren assured her. "No war, no different direction; there's only one goal."

Blake retracted her left hand, prodding Ren at his chin to move him up from her neck and placing them face-to-face. "You're different when you're around me."

"Yes," Ren agreed, before reaching a hand up to unclasp her bow and expose her Faunus ears. "Are you so different?"

Blake's second set of ears wiggled upon her head, free to move as they so rarely were, but Blake didn't let her eyes leave Ren. "I know I have a second side… maybe not a second _soul_ , but another part of me, something that I only let you see." Blake finally broke her gaze, looking away from him. "And I'm scared of it."

"Why?" Ren asked, leaning down to nuzzle his forehead against her cheek. Blake brought her left hand up to grasp the back of his head, holding her to him, even as she continued to avert her eyes.

"Because I've been here before," Blake explained. "I've let myself live in a single moment without thinking about where I was or where I was going. I remember how hard it was to come back from that."

Ren pulled himself up from her cheek, and reached his hand down to gently turn her chin so Blake would face him. "And do you wish to leave this moment?"

"No," Blake assured him. "I just… I just wonder why we're so different here than we are out there. I wonder how you came to be like this. I wonder where you'd be if you weren't here… and what you'd be like otherwise."

Ren glanced at the book still clutched in Blake's hand and pressed to his shoulder. He leaned his head over to nuzzle against her wrist. He thought on her words, though he took his time to align himself… he had little reason to hurry.

"Maybe I _do_ have more than one soul," Ren mused. "Maybe here, with you, you call it out, you bring it to life. But if I do, it's not something you should be afraid of… because both parts of me want nothing more than to be here. Is that what both parts of you want?"

"Part of me wants to run," Blake admitted. "But it's just a part. The rest of me can't think of any place I'd rather be than here with you."

Ren leaned down to kiss her. He held the embrace for several seconds, before sliding down, squishing himself between Blake and the cushions, resting beside her and pulling her into a cuddle. "Then there is nothing for us to fear."

* * *

 _The Second Semester, the Dance_

His friends were all preparing for the event. Weiss and Yang were hard at work getting things set up in the ballroom, while Ruby tried to learn to walk in heels (and kept falling over and crashing into her bunk beds, based on the noises that had come from across the hall). Pyrrha and Nora had gone off to make themselves presentable, and Jaune –though fully intending to participate- had just set aside his suit and spent the afternoon moping about Weiss apparently going to the event with someone else. Ren had initially remained with him, but Jaune wasn't in a very social mood and Ren politely excused himself, leaving his attire to hang in the closet until they were a little closer to the start time.

Ren had intended only to give Jaune some space, and wandered without a destination in mind. He thought perhaps about visiting the library, but there was no need to study: classes wouldn't resume until after the first year students completed an away mission the following week. He could've gone to the gym to train, to try and bury his thoughts again, but he didn't want to linger too long; he wanted to make Nora happy and be supportive for Jaune. For too long Ren had allowed himself to be consumed by emotion, and he'd been oblivious to his friends' concerns as a result. He needed to refocus his attention and be there for them, in whatever capacity he could manage.

Still, he needed something to occupy his time, and thought of something that might help him focus; something to remind him of what really mattered in this life.

Ren had been such an excellent student teachers had permitted him a degree of access to otherwise off-limits areas. Professor Port had been so impressed with Ren's Grimm studies that he'd entrusted Ren with a key to their holding pens, so he could observe the captive specimens for his research.

If there was any way to put life in perspective, it was to remember how dangerous things were outside the kingdom's walls. The Grimm wouldn't care about a huntsman's girl troubles. They'd kill a happy man just as readily as they'd kill a troubled one.

Ren unlocked the entrance to the pen, his presence immediately drawing the attention of the captive Grimm. Beowolves and Boarbatusks held in their containers thrashed and struck at their bindings, trying to cut through stone and metal to reach out to him and his Aura. They willingly injured themselves in pursuit of their quarry, their hatred so strong they didn't even think of their own self-preservation.

For several seconds Ren just observed them, watching the beasts thrash in their cages, clawing at him, roaring at him, fighting every moment to be free so they could kill him and stamp out the light of his Aura.

Ren reached a hand to his chest, counting his heartbeats to concentrate. He thought back to the beginning, to the simple message his father imparted: to take action and be brave in the face of danger. He could lock his emotions away and focus on his task, and without his fear and despair to feed on, the Grimm would not see him. His light would disappear from their hollow eyes and they wouldn't know the thing they hated most stood feet in front of them.

But though Ren tried, he couldn't make the change. The Grimm continued to thrash. Ren struggled, becoming increasingly concerned that he could not activate his Semblance and disappear, and his newfound fear provoked the Grimm further, making their slashing escape attempts all the more brazen.

He needed to be calm. He needed to focus. He needed to find a balance, to step back from his emotions and disappear. Yet he could not lock them away. His emotions thrashed wildly like the Grimm, as the beast dwelling within refused to be placed under its seal, constantly clawing at the weak and flimsy gates Ren tried to put in its path.

Blake had tried to warn him, however subtly, about the very good reasons to fear the other side of himself. She wasn't wrong. It was proving quite difficult to return to what he had been. And if he could not use his Semblance he would be robbing his team of an advantage. And if he could not control his emotions, he would be constantly broadcasting his location to the Grimm.

He needed to find some answer, some remedy that alleviated this. Ren didn't need to seal this monster away for his own sanity anymore; he needed to be better so his friends wouldn't be in danger on his account.

"Oh ho, that's quite the ruckus, isn't it?"

Port wandered in, observing as Ren stood before the two thrashing cages. The Professor's entrance didn't seem to draw their attention; both the Boarbatusk and the Beowolf paid him no heed and continued to strike the metal bars of their boxes in Ren's general direction.

"It's a bit of an odd time for extracurricular research, Mr. Ren," Port noted. "Surely you have better things to do on a Sunday?"

"I had a theory I needed to test," Ren answered, composing an answer that told at least _some_ of the truth to his bombastic, far-too-trusting mentor. "I wanted to measure how they reacted to different emotional states and what would provoke their ire."

Port raised an eyebrow as he watched the Beowolf wearing down its bone claws on the metal bars. "So I see… but really, my friend, though I applaud your industry, I must insist you find a better way to occupy yourself today. You have all your life to be cooped up studying; while you're young you must experience a zest for life and use your unbridled energy to engage in mirthful acts! Why, tonight there will be a dance! Surely a strapping lad like yourself has made plans for it!"

"I have, yes, of course," Ren agreed, averting Port's eye as he stepped away, even as the Grimm continued to thrash in their boxes, scratching empty air in pursuit of him. Port watched them in their throes, and his distraction gave Ren the opportunity to put distance between himself and the beasts born of shadow.

He couldn't activate his Semblance. He couldn't control his emotions. He couldn't seal away the beast lurking under the surface.

Problems for later. Right now, he had to be there for his friends. He had to remember his duty, his obligation, and his bond. If putting on appearances would help them with their own issues, maybe that would be enough for them to make it through their away mission. Maybe by helping them he could find some sense of alignment and bring his soul back into balance.

* * *

Yang knew what she was doing. Blake had no idea when she'd had the chance to learn to dance, but she took the lead and gracefully guided Blake along the floor, telling a story of a slow, gradually building bond, only to abruptly conclude with a gesture of mutual respect, as each party reluctantly shed their affection and bowed to one another from afar. Without missing a beat Yang waved Sun over to dance with Blake in her stead, and while Sun tried his hardest, Blake couldn't deny Yang handily outperformed him. Still, Sun was energetic and his clumsiness was sort of charming in its own way.

As they moved along the floor, Blake's eyes wandered to the various couples moving around them. Most of them were Beacon students she didn't know, save for Ren and Nora, who danced with the same grace and precision Yang had.

Ren met her eye once or twice as he and Nora cut swathes through the other dancers, but he never held her gaze or changed his expression. She hadn't yet had the opportunity to tell him what she wanted to tell him, but for the moment, he seemed to be back to his usual, stoic self. Nora seemed to prefer that quiet, unemotional Ren to the impassioned one Blake had brought out.

Maybe that would help him find his way back. Maybe having Nora once again attached to his hip would keep the beast she'd seen glimpses of pacified.

Though that might not have been necessary had Blake not pulled that beast to the surface the previous day. Sun didn't seem to notice that she was spending more time looking at Ren than at him, but Blake was certain he'd catch on eventually. He wasn't quite _that_ blonde.

Fortunately, Neptune pulled them aside to regale them with some amusing story. Blake wasn't really listening, but timed her laughs with Sun's and caught enough of the gist of it to picture enough of the scenario. She had to admit the prospect of seeing Neptune wearing water wings was funny enough she could laugh a good long while.

Then Neptune wandered off, and she and Sun took in another dance. She was relieved to see Ren and Nora had gone for punch, and Blake could keep her attention solely on her date. Sun had evidently clued in to her being in a less-than-talkative mood and spent his time dancing, gradually improving from clumsy and uncoordinated to at least keeping pace with Blake.

But nothing could prepare them for the sudden appearance of a guy walking out onto the dance floor in a white dress, as Jaune ignored the constant stream of laughter (a few giggles even escaped Blake herself) and offered his hand to Pyrrha, which she eagerly accepted.

Across the ballroom, Nora beheld this, and erupted in pure delight. "REN- THIS. IS. **HAPPENING!** "

Ren, caught completely off guard and having not been privy to any of the events leading up to this bizarre moment, could only ask: "Wait. _What_ is happening?"

Nora took hold of his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. Jaune and Pyrrha were already there, lining themselves up with some exquisite choreography. Ren was touched: they remembered the instructions he'd given them during a slow day in the dorm room.

Jaune had talent. Pyrrha was motivated. Nora was still full of energy. All they needed from Ren was for him to be present and share in their fun. He could certainly do that.

Ren set to work, leading their motions, and letting their passion and energy carry the rest, as they found themselves in sync once again. After impressing every onlooker with their team's display of friendship, Jaune and Pyrrha splintered off to dance together, and Ren easily found his groove with Nora.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Blake and Sun on the dance floor again. He wondered if she'd borne witness to his motions, and what she'd thought of them.

And in an instant, after a brief burst of being the support his friends needed him to be, he was once again out of alignment, the beast dwelling within him calling out to its opposite, only ten feet from him, dancing with another boy.

* * *

Nora had insisted she and Ren take the long way back to the dorms, letting Pyrrha and Jaune have some time to themselves. She didn't expect anything to happen, but she wanted to give them a bit of privacy; a bit more time to enshrine this night into their memories. Nora had removed her heels and was now happily bounding barefoot along the grass in the courtyard, Ren lagging a bit behind and just observing her seemingly inexhaustible energy supply.

Nora had been pleased when Ren joined them and led their dance routine, and that enthusiasm had continued to carry through. She was being less talkative than usual, only humming the tune of that song they'd danced to… whatever it had been called with its strange subject matter of unrequited romantic affection.

She was still waiting for him to tell her the rest. Maybe she thought now would be the time. Maybe Nora believed that he would complete his atonement tonight and unburden himself of whatever had troubled him enough to lash out at her. Nora wanted to know his secret, and she wanted to help.

Ren could not even speak. The monster within him was growing stronger, despite his efforts. The part of himself only Blake had seen, the raw, unbridled emotion he'd kept under lock and key, was clawing under his skin, and if he told Nora _any_ of that it would completely change her perception of him. Maybe even shatter her faith in him.

He knew it wasn't enough for her. Not yet. But he couldn't show her just yet. He had to keep looking, to find whatever would finally allow him to seal the beast away and be the person he'd been before; the better man his teammates could always count on.

* * *

"Save the world?" Nora repeated. "You're going on world saving missions _without_ _us_?!"

Team RWBY knew to indulge her. They turned to address their friend's concerns. Ren determinedly avoided Blake's gaze. He didn't want to see her eyes. He didn't want to remember.

"I'm hurt and sad," Nora wailed dramatically. "Maybe a little hungry… that last one's not your fault though." She then pointedly glanced at her oldest friend. " _Ren_."

Ren crossed his arms and looked away with a pout. He appreciated finding an excuse not to look at Blake, though Nora had reminded him of just how unfocused he'd become. It was incredibly rare Ren forgot to prepare breakfast, and it left Nora… irritable.

"Sounds exciting," Jaune ventured. "Where you going?"

"Oh, just outside the kingdom," Ruby assured.

Ren and Blake realized they were standing right next to each other and uncomfortably avoided each others' gaze. It seemed she was just as eager to avoid acknowledging him as he was to avoid looking her in the eye. "Hey, so are we!" Nora interjected.

"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village," Pyrrha explained. Though he tried not to look at her, Ren felt her eyes slide up to inquisitively glance his way. It must've seemed a curious choice of assignment.

Because Ren wanted to minimize their chances of encountering Grimm. At least helping local law enforcement would be a productive use of their time when not fighting monsters. "We set out tomorrow," Ren explained, speaking to somewhere in the middle of Team RWBY, to empty air between Ruby and Weiss.

"Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune interjected, as he and Sun opted to join the group from nowhere. Ren should've heard them coming- once again he was distracted, and caught unaware.

He smiled, feigning amusement at Neptune's antics. When Jaune became starstruck at hearing about their Junior Detective badges, he suspected he might be able to escape former scrutiny, but when Professor Oobleck called out to Team RWBY from a waiting Bullhead, he met Blake's eye.

He felt it, welling from within. His heart began to pound and his hands began to shake. Ren cursed his body this reaction. Where was his self-control? Why was she still affecting him like this when all she'd done was meet his eye?

Blake looked ahead, trying to appear stoic, but she felt it too. Ren heard her heart racing and saw her clench her hands, standing ramrod stiff. The other side of her was responding, peeking out from behind her façade.

He had to get away from her. He had to stop looking at her. Or he might tackle her to the ground then and there. If she didn't tackle him first.

"Well, uh, wish us luck," Ruby requested. Ren didn't say a word as he turned away, feeling Blake's eyes on his back, and hearing her footsteps as she hesitated just a moment before following her team to their ship.

Ren tried to calm himself again, to count his heartbeats until the number decreased to an acceptable level. He tried to focus, to bring himself back into balance and to once again cage the beast.

All he could see were Blake's eyes. All he could hear was her heart pounding.

* * *

 _Mountain Glenn_

"I had a partner named Adam."

Ruby had gone to keep watch, giving her teammates an opportunity to sleep. Unfortunately, that hadn't ended up happening. Blake had greater peace of mind now, alone with her friends… at least until they started having a long, heart to heart talk.

"When I leave the academy… what can I- how will I undo so many years of hate?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Yang assured her. "You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake."

"But I am!" Blake protested. "I do it all the time! When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do- so I _ran_. When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran. Even my Semblance… I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself; an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away."

She'd left a shadow clone behind because she hadn't wanted to tell Ren what she felt; because she hadn't wanted to hear whatever he had to say to her.

She'd left Ren because the beast dwelling within him came out more frequently when he was with her. The last time a man she cared for had let the beast loose, it consumed him. Ren would never have changed without her. He'd never have unleashed this thing dwelling within him if she'd never taken his hand in her own.

Adam had been her mentor. He was a monster of his own making.

Ren was her friend. More than that, no matter how she tried to pretend otherwise. Even beside her friends and with Sun literally standing between them, the other side of herself –the side driven by impulse- had emerged, responding to the beast standing across from her. Blake coaxed that monster out, because she wanted to see the side of him no one else did. She was responsible, at least in part, for the change that befell him, and the anguish he suffered.

She wanted him. But she thought the more she coaxed out what he'd sealed away, the harder it'd be for him to be the kind young man who offered her tea. And eventually, he might become like Adam, if he surrendered to impulse for too long.

This had to stop. _She_ had to stop.

* * *

 _The Train_

It felt good to bring Torchwick down. Thanks to the Dust cylinders Weiss had given her, Blake outmaneuvered the master criminal and brought him low, holding Gambol Shroud up to his neck.

"Why are we fighting?" Torchwick inquired, thinking very quickly on the floor. "I saw you at the rally; we're on the same side, and you know it."

He was trying to save his worthless life. He'd been such a nuisance; Blake should've killed him then and there. Horrible deed thought it would be, Torchwick had earned it.

But the longer she waited to end him, the bolder he became. "Ooh, still feisty," he observed. "Sooo… what are we gonna do now? Do you really think a little bow on top is gonna make people forget what you were? What you've _done_?"

Blake felt her teeth gnashing. She wanted to kill him. She felt it welling up from within her, the part of her that was not constrained by morality, but driven by impulse. The part of her that could accept taking a life.

She moved the blade closer to his neck…

The door opened behind her. Weiss's unconscious body rolled in, one of the White Fang's heftier soldiers following after.

"So what's it gonna be, Blake?" Torchwick inquired.

Blake had no more time for him. Her friend was in danger. She could still focus on that.

Blake kicked Roman senseless then moved to help Weiss.

* * *

 _The Breach_

Jaune had assured him they'd still find time to help the sheriff. If only that had been why Ren hesitated. It would've been a nobler motivation, if he'd performed some act of sacrifice. It would've reassured his teammates that Ren was last aboard the Bullhead only because he'd intended to go help someone else in need.

And not because he had to get to Blake.

His friends were in danger. Somewhere in his mind he understood that. He was going with his team to defend the innocent from danger. He hoped that was how events would be recorded, and what people would say Team JNPR did today.

That was _not_ what drove him to charge into danger. That was not what clawed its way up from within him and finally broke the surface. The better man he'd vowed to be... would have to wait his turn to emerge. Once again, priorities had changed. Once again, he'd allow this indulgence. Once again, he'd try to find forgiveness later.

Nora beat him to the fray, but only by a hair. Even propelled by a grenade launcher, Nora was less furious than he was.

He saw Team RWBY surrounded by Grimm, with more of their number pouring out from a deep hole in the cement. He saw Blake firing desperately from Gambol Shroud, and at once knew he had to get to her.

Nora and Pyrrha found defensible positions and waited for the Grimm to come into their path, striking deliberately and methodically. Jaune found himself a big Ursa to slash at until one of them fell over. Ren dove headlong into battle, cutting down, shooting, and kicking every monster that dared to cross his path.

The Grimm responded to him, drawn to his anger, his negative emotions alerting them like birds encircling carrion. In what little remained of his rational mind, he noticed many of the Grimm were young, newly-forged specimens. They would fight with reckless abandon and not care for their own lives. They had no thought process beyond seeking the source of Aura before them and destroying it.

They preyed on fear. They were monsters.

They had never _seen_ monsters.

Not yet.

Ren counted his heartbeats. He tried to find his balance, to reach the calm emotional state that would render him invisible to their senses.

Then he shifted his focus to _breaking_ that seal rather than reinforcing it, casting aside the locks and bindings and letting the beast free.

The older Grimm knew fear. They'd felt it reaching out, strangling them from the other side of the world. Now it poured out from this boy, his Aura flickering and unleashing from his soul a raw emotion so strong it washed over their hollow bodies and pushed them back. Even the young ones felt a moment's pause as all the negative emotion that had called them forth suddenly poured right back at them, exposing them to –for the first time in their brief lives- such strength of spirit, such righteous fury it instilled in them _fear_. Soulless constructs, born of negative emotions… cowered in fear at the presence of this boy.

Ren cut them all asunder, one after another. It didn't matter how many poured out from the hole in the ground: if they got in his path as he moved towards Blake, they were destroyed after experiencing dread they had never known.

Blake eventually realized that the Grimm were failing to flank her, even though she and her team were surrounded. Slowly she turned to find the reason, as Ren locked his gaze with hers' again.

She saw him, behind the cool pink orbs: the incarnation of savagery finally, truly unleashed.

They did not need to exchange many words. They needed only meet each other's eye.

* * *

What should've been a terrible attack on the kingdom turned into an unexpected triumph, when Atlas soldiers and reinforcements from Beacon joined the battle and turned the tide. Though they might never have been needed at all, had Ren continued on his path.

Blake had to put in an appearance with her friends first. Ren did not bother with such social niceties. He had one objective, and he would attain it.

After a brief conversation with her friends, Team RWBY resolved to get some rest after their harrowing adventure. Blake fully intended to join them, after a brief detour to the library.

He was waiting for her there, where they'd met for tea. It all seemed so long ago now.

There was no past there. There was no future lying ahead. There was no doubt, no fear, no desire to run. There was the moment, where two sides resonated with one another, and whatever consequences would come of their meeting were far out of sight.

Blake untied her bow, revealing her Faunus ears. His only disappointment was he hadn't undone it himself. He pulled her up by her waist and pressed her to the couch, kissing her fiercely, shedding all of his calmness and restraint.

Blake briefly thought of Sun, and if she had led him on… if she could explain… _this_ to him. She thought about finally telling her teammates and putting an end to this secrecy.

She was thinking too much. There were more important things to do.

Blake wrapped her arms around the back of Ren's neck and pulled him closer.

* * *

Unnoticed, not even far away, Nora fell to her knees in shock.

Her oldest friend, the man she loved the most in the world…

This was his secret. _She_ was his secret.

In retrospect, it seemed obvious.

That didn't make it hurt any less to see.


	4. Before the Storm

**Chapter Four: Before the Storm**

 _The Past_

Blake looked over at Adam, still asleep beside her. He'd been intense, unleashing a deep aggression from within, and she'd been only too happy to reciprocate with what she'd kept pent up. Now he was content, even docile, as the beast within him had been pacified, leaving now only the man she loved at her side.

Adam had his demons; he'd been subjected to so much hatred in his life it was impossible for it not to rub off on him. Unlike Blake, who'd lived in a grand palace with her family, Adam had fought his way up from nothing, fighting against not only the humans who oppressed their kind but those among the Faunus comfortable with what little authority they held, and used to try and force him back down to the lowest rungs where he'd started his journey.

He had been peaceful once. But there was a beast within him, one that stirred within him and drove him to action. When he let his emotions shine through, when he didn't keep them bottled up, he was a sight to behold. And when alone with Blake, she loved to see that side of him unleashed.

But when he repressed those emotions, he made for a better leader. He was firm and rigid, but never failed in keeping his subordinates safe and attending to the duties asked of him by those higher up the chain of command. Blake honestly thought that, much as she loved the other side of him, he was a better man when he kept the beast chained away. She wondered exactly how healthy it was for her to keep coaxing the monster out.

He was becoming more violent. He told her he overreacted, that he let his emotions get the better of him, or he'd become impatient after such a long struggle. Blake chose to believe him. It was better than admitting that she'd helped to provoke this change, by constantly encouraging him to let loose the wilder side he'd have once kept hidden. That didn't mean she wanted him to surrender to impulse. She just wanted him to be himself and not keep this part of himself locked away.

She loved him… loved him so very much. She loved both sides of him, and just needed to help him find a balance.

That was the last thought Blake had as she pressed herself to Adam's back, drifting off to sleep and preparing for another day fighting for the White Fang.

* * *

 _After the Breach_

Blake looked down at Ren, still asleep on the couch. She'd been tempted to remain there with him, cramped though it might've been, but her friends were expecting her to return and she was already overdue. Once she'd stood up and left the moment behind, she'd returned to reality and felt its weight assailing her on all sides. She had to find her bow… where had she dropped it?

Once again she'd fallen back into this habit. Once again she'd allowed herself to be swept up by her passions and forego any attempt to do better. And worse, she'd once again called to the monster within Ren and let it loose. Ren hadn't even bothered to hide it away. He'd unleashed his savagery in full view of his teammates. Had they not been battling against the Grimm and their friends' attention been elsewhere, he'd have seemed ferocious to the point of animalistic.

That was part of the reason Blake cursed this behavior. This side of her… before she'd thought it something unique to Faunus, something in their genetic makeup that led to their animal instincts warring with their humanoid rationality creating a shade in their souls, or even a sort of pseudo-second personality. Seeing it in Ren, seeing that it was not a unique trait… didn't actually put her mind at ease. The thing that bound them together, gave them a sense of shared humanity only made it clear that humans and Faunus were equally flawed and equally capable of savagery.

She became attracted to Ren because of his kindness. Now she only wanted him because of the impulsive, emotional creature that lurked below the surface. She'd been so callous towards him, barely even speaking to him and only ever interacting in any tangible way when she was calling out his other side.

Where was her bow?

Blake had tossed it aside with reckless abandon, giving herself over to the moment. She hadn't even considered picking it back up when she'd been entranced by Ren's gaze. All she'd wanted was for him to see all of her, to want her for who she was and admire the side of her only he got to see.

Blake crouched down and looked under the seats and the coffee table. When she ran her hand over the surface of the wooden table, her fingers brushed alongside one of Ren's teacups, long gone unused. How long had it been since they'd just quietly shared tea? How long had it been since she'd liked spending time with Lie Ren because of his quiet, reserved nature? How long had it taken her to realize there was something inside him that would completely change her perception and lead to her abandoning any interest in the boy she'd befriended.

She felt so guilty. If she'd never grown close to him, would he ever have released the monster in his soul? Would he ever even know it was there? Or had Blake forced it into existence with her prodding? And now all she was doing was trying to make Ren more monster than man, because that side of him appealed to something within her. Something primal. Something _dark_.

She _had_ to talk to him. She had to stop trying to coax out the beast and try to find the man whose sincerity forged their bond in the first place. She had to bring him back, even if that meant she'd forfeit moments like these.

Lie Ren was a good man. She would _not_ let him become like Adam.

Blake found her bow sitting beside the armchair and reached down to take hold of it, once again placing on her bindings and sealing her other side away.

She just needed to help Ren find something similar; something to help him come back.

* * *

Nora hadn't been distracted long. She had to retreat after Ren and Blake started getting… intense. She couldn't bear to watch. She didn't want to see either of them like that.

She should've been pleased. Ren had found someone who instilled in him affection that moved past friendship. And Nora could certainly think of worse girls for Ren to end up with than one of her friends on their sister team.

So why did it make her so upset? Why did it hurt her so much?

Because she loved Ren. _That_ way. And she'd tried to say it again and again, time after time, only to hold her tongue and smile. She didn't know if he felt the same way and didn't want to ruin things by trying to offer him feelings he couldn't respond to. She tried to be content with their friendship; a bond that could never be replaced.

Yet she'd also assumed that if he wasn't going to return her romantic interest then he wouldn't turn his eye to anyone else. And now he had a thing with Blake, and based on what she'd seen before she fled, it'd been going on for a while.

And it hadn't been wholly positive. It had led to Ren behaving oddly, slipping up and losing focus. If he'd intended to tell Nora about the girl he was seeing he had passed up several opportunities to fill her in. He'd been sneaking around this entire time and… why? Because he didn't want her to know? Or Blake didn't want her team to know?

Nora had no idea what to do with this. She could ask Ruby and Yang if they knew, but if they _didn't_ know that would just lead to her letting the truth out and then everyone on either team would know.

She _could_ talk to Ren when he became available, but that would lead to her discussing the nature of his relationship with another girl. It was awkward just to think about. She could only imagine how uncomfortable it would make them both to actually talk about things. But then, maybe finally getting this out in the open would alleviate the stress Ren had been under.

Nora couldn't just ignore this. She had to let Ren know she knew, even if she was going to remain the only one who knew about him and Blake.

She was getting close to the dorm room. She had to stop being so serious. Nora switched from a steady footstep to a gaudy skip, trying to find the right tune to hum to herself. When she stepped back into her room, she seemed as upbeat and bubbly as her friends expected her to be.

"Hey Nora," Jaune greeted from his desk. "You find Ren?"

"Yep!" Nora said, putting on a broad smile –maybe a bit broader than she needed- and pointing out in the hall. "He went to drink tea; you know, like he does every week?"

"Ren beats more Grimm than Team CFVY and he celebrates by having tea by himself?" Jaune skeptically inquired.

"Admittedly, that _does_ sound like Ren," Pyrrha chimed in from her bed.

"True," Jaune agreed.

Nora continued to skip along, putting on a show for her friends before discretely stepping into the bathroom to put some water on her face. Hopefully when Jaune and Pyrrha saw her again they'd never notice the tears.

* * *

When Blake finally returned to the dorm room, Ruby and Weiss were sleeping soundly. Yang was still awake, waiting for her long mane of blonde hair to dry while she sat on the floor, propped up against Blake's bed and teasing Zwei with a toy bone.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Yang inquired. "Thought you just wanted to find a book… which you, uh, didn't bring back with you?"

Blake hadn't even recalled what excuse she'd offered her friends. She suspected it might've been easier to slip back unnoticed if she'd reined herself in a bit earlier. It just hadn't entered her mind at the time.

She didn't want to lie to Yang, but she couldn't tell her _everything_. So she gave her a truncated version of events. "I ran into Ren at the library."

"Oh, you finally caught up with him?" Yang asked. "I'm glad you found time… gosh, how long has it been?"

Blake let the inquiry pass, taking the long route around Yang and Zwei, kicking off her shoes and climbing into bed. Yang was still sitting a few inches from her, however, so she couldn't completely escape from interrogation if the mood struck the blonde bruiser.

Fortunately, it seemed she accepted Blake's reasoning and continued to play with Zwei. Hearing the dog yip at her while Yang giggled at his antics put Blake's troubled mind at ease. Whatever she was dealing with now, it seemed her teammates were content with how things had gone and were taking time to relax.

They had a few days before the tournament would begin in earnest; time to rest and time to prepare. Or in Blake's case, to try and bring someone back before he was completely lost.

Out of the corner of her eye, she took note of Yang's expression. Even though she was still teasing Zwei with the toy, her smile was slowly turning to a concerned frown. Her eyes were unfocused. Her motions were becoming lazier. _Something_ was on her mind. _Something_ was troubling her.

Did she know and just let it slide? Or was there some other issue affecting her partner that Blake hadn't seen while her attention had been divided between Ren and her battle with Roman Torchwick?

She'd find time to talk to Yang too. Soon. After Ren.

Another promise… so many now...

* * *

Cinder perused her Scroll as she received information from the CCT. After the long process of sorting through various streams of data, Torchwick's lackey found the source from Ozpin's office and gave Cinder the info she was looking for. She took great delight in replaying the recording of the Vale council reprimanding the headmaster and stripping him of responsibilities for the Vytal Festival. The fools had made her job even easier by putting Ironwood in charge; he'd be too busy showing off Atlas's military might to notice her agents slipping back and forth over the battle lines.

Cinder ran through Ozpin's data and confirmed her suspicions: he _did_ have the Fall Maiden, safe and secure in a vault below Beacon tower and surviving only through the aid of a life supporting chamber. She wasn't long for the world, and Ozpin was scouring his student body to find a suitable host for the other half of the maiden's soul before the poor girl expired and her power migrated to Cinder's body.

Unsurprisingly, the invincible girl Pyrrha Nikos was his most promising candidate. _That_ would present a problem if Ozpin ever managed to get ahead of Cinder's planning, because Emerald and Mercury had reported she had an incredibly powerful Semblance. Combined with the maiden's powers, even Cinder might have difficulty defeating her. Other candidates included the second year Coco Adel who defeated so many Grimm in the breach and…

And… the Faunus girl?

Ozpin had meticulously gone over the report given to Glynda Goodwitch by Team RWBY, and then meticulously gone over the performance review given to him by Bartholomew Oobleck about the away mission he undertook; a mission Ozpin _specifically_ _approved_ despite it being too dangerous for first year students. Apparently, Blake Belladonna had been the standout. According to the rest of her teammates, she'd defeated Roman Torchwick in single combat and been instrumental in holding the line during the initial moments of the breach. She'd singlehandedly defeated a dangerous criminal, fought against her Faunus brethren without hesitation, and shown bravery in the field. It was no wonder she'd caught Ozpin's attention.

Cinder perused all of Ozpin's information on the girl. It seemed she'd deliberately avoided mentioning her Faunus heritage, passing herself as a human on her application. Ozpin had quietly amended her information in the school records during the prior semester… according to the date, immediately after Roman and the White Fang's operations had been foiled by the intervention of a bunch of Beacon students.

The girl was ex-White Fang. She was almost certainly guilty of some of their more… _questionable_ actions in recent years. Even to those free of anti-Faunus racism she would be perceived as a dangerous terrorist if the truth of her past were to come to light.

And Ozpin was considering making her the guardian of his kingdom.

Cinder had to be careful not to overplay her hand. She had to be subtle in guiding Ozpin to this choice, and ensure she was selected over Pyrrha Nikos. Either the girl's own divided loyalties would lead her to refuse –thus buying Cinder time to complete gathering her forces for the invasion- or she would accept, and Cinder would reveal the truth of her background to the world and turn the kingdom against her, possibly on a stage as grand as the Vytal Festival Tournament, when all the world would be watching.

When Cinder killed her, she might not need reveal her duplicity at all. The world would see her as a hero who put a stop to a dangerous terrorist and Ozpin's mad science run amok.

Slowly, meticulously, Cinder began laying the groundwork…

* * *

When Ren woke, he found himself finally at peace once more, his thoughts no longer consumed by his obsession with Blake. He _did_ wonder when she'd left and how long she'd been gone, but at least he could think on other things. He could recall the events of the breach, and how he'd used his Semblance to unleash his emotions.

He never thought he'd do that. He hadn't known it was possible. Yet now, instead of becoming invisible to the Grimm, he'd found a way to frighten them. That may well have been more valuable if he could find a way to consistently utilize it and not be solely motivated at finding a pretty Faunus girl in calling out his other side.

His team must've wondered where he'd gone. Nora may well have been scouring the campus –if not the entire kingdom- if he was out of her sight for too long. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind when he'd taken Blake in his arms.

But before he went to rejoin them, Ren pressed his hand to his chest, counting his heartbeats. He concentrated, trying to find the right balance of emotions to once again seal away the beast and find the state needed to disappear from this world.

Not yet. He was closer, he could feel himself changing and fading away, but he couldn't complete the process. He doubted he'd need to utilize the skill during the tournament, but he wanted to be at his best and support his teammates. Still, it was an encouraging sign that he wasn't as distracted as he'd been a day before. And knowing he could affect his Semblance in the opposite direction encouraged Ren to try and experiment, to see just what other untapped potential remained within him.

And Blake…

Maybe things didn't need to be complicated. Maybe they just needed to do _this_ every once in a while and give the beasts their playtime and keep them pacified. Or maybe they should finally do away with any secrecy and embrace their relationship, whatever it was, and tell their friends.

Why would they need to hide any longer? Why _should_ they?

What reason was there to be afraid now?

* * *

Ozpin thought he'd closed that report. He'd read it often enough.

But as he brought his cursor over to close the document, Ozpin noticed a few other files left open. Oobleck's performance review, and the video recording of his meeting with Miss Belladonna. Ozpin had been considering her, and recent events had given him plenty of reason to consider her as a candidate. He re-watched the interview, sipping his coffee.

" _With all due respect, you need to start taking some larger strides. Until then, I'd rather avoid any unnecessary attention. I want people to see me for who I am, and not_ _ **what**_ _I am_."

There had never been a Faunus chosen as a Maiden before. At least, not to Ozpin's knowledge. But the magic that existed within them was older than recorded history. Ozpin liked to believe that in the time before history, there had been no difference between humans and Faunus.

The girl had, in her youthful zeal, joined the White Fang to try and make the world a better place and fight for equality for her people. When they turned violent, she turned away and chose to become a huntress, to defend the weak from the dangers of the world. When applying, she'd neglected to mention her heritage and been accepted based on her merits.

Defeating the criminal who'd caused the kingdom so much trouble was a promising sign. Fighting against her former allies in the White Fang… it must've been a terrible burden for her, but Blake Belladonna did it all the same.

Ozpin re-read Oobleck's evaluation and digested the details of the mission to Mountain Glenn…

* * *

Ren was up later than the others following his impromptu nap. Jaune and Pyrrha were going to devote the next few days to training while they had the opportunity. Ren had been doing something similar in testing his Semblance, and his long stretches of meditation seemed to his friends to be Ren engaging in training of his own.

Jaune had complimented him on his performance during the Grimm attack. Ren hadn't realized what all he'd done; it all seemed such a blur now. Fortunately, both Jaune and Pyrrha seemed unsurprised by his reaction, mistaking his incredulity for modesty. Apparently Ren had destroyed more Grimm than even the highly skilled second year Team CFVY, all in his mad rush to get to Blake. Though Team JNPR had always intended to send Pyrrha to the finals, both Jaune and Pyrrha entertained the idea of sending Ren along with her to the doubles round.

And Nora never said a word. She just bounced up and down on her bed, listening to her friends talk until night rolled around and they all prepped for sleep. Jaune and Pyrrha found it straight away, and Ren continued to practice, trying to find the emotional balance that had eluded him for so long.

And Nora… she'd only held her tongue so long because she'd been waiting for this moment. Ren was no longer distracted. He'd known better than to expect her silence to last.

Ren withdrew his hand from his chest and glanced across to her bed. "I'm ready."

Nora rolled over to look at him, holding his gaze for a moment before sitting up, pulling on a jacket to wear over her pajamas. "Let's take a walk."

Her tone was very serious and her words very direct. This was a rare sight, but one Ren had been anticipating. She led the way as they walked out of the dorm room down the hall to the shared kitchen. Nora glanced around for any of the others before returning her attention solely to Ren.

"I know about Blake," Nora said.

Simple words. Yet they changed everything.

Ren had known this was possible; that Nora would find out the truth before Ren could tell her any details. He'd have preferred to tactfully explain things to her, but he'd never found the words. And clearly this matter had affected her. "What do you want to know?" Ren asked, still feeling her out.

"Everything," Nora answered. "How long it's been going on, how it started, where it's going, what she means to you…"

Not easy questions to answer. The time frame was clear: Ren knew when they'd made the jump from friendship to more than that, when they'd first kissed, when they'd gone further than that. But where it was going? What Blake meant to him?

What _did_ she mean to him? Was she his girlfriend? Did he love her?

They'd never used those words. They'd never needed to use many words.

What they had wasn't conventional. Ren didn't entirely understand it himself. How could he explain it in a way that satisfied Nora's curiosity? Should he even go into detail about this? Nora was his oldest and dearest friend, but should he reveal all that he'd learned about Blake?

Ren tried to align these confusing thoughts into a comprehensible statement. "We spent a few weeks bonding over tea. When Fox was called away and it was just the two of us we got closer. We really…"

He mentioned when Blake took his hand in her own. He gave Nora the date when she first kissed him, taking the initiative and making the leap he was only too happy to follow up on. And the rest… well, he didn't go into detail, even as Nora continued to focus her attention on him.

Nora didn't press him on it further. She seemed content to have gotten this information from him. "Does her team know?"

"I don't believe so," Ren answered. He didn't _think_ anything had changed, but didn't want to risk Nora doing her own research and learning Blake had shared details before Ren knew himself.

"Are you going to tell Jaune and Pyrrha?" Nora asked.

He should. They deserved to know that his teammates didn't have his full attention. "I want to talk to her first," Ren decided.

Nora nodded, then was silent for several seconds before addressing him again. "I don't want to dance around this issue with them. I never want to lie to them; I want things to be out in the open- if they can be."

Ren nodded. Nora reached over and hugged him. "I'm so happy for you."

Ren returned the gesture, holding her in embrace. She squeezed him tightly then let him go, glancing up to meet his eye. "You know, seeing as we're in the kitchen and I missed breakfast the other day…"

Ren smiled. "Of course." He headed over to the pantry and searched for the batter and flour. It was an encouraging thought that Nora wasn't so obsessed with his personal issues to forget how much she liked his pancakes. His friend hadn't traversed so far in chasing after him as to lose an important part of herself.

While Ren smiled, busying himself in setting up over the stove, Nora excused herself to the washroom to throw some water on her face.

* * *

Blake had enough on her plate. Why did Ozpin want to meet? To follow up on the mission? To inquire about the White Fang? She still had to talk to Ren. And Yang. And Sun had sent her a handful of texts trying to figure out where she'd disappeared to.

Still, there were days off ahead, and Weiss felt they'd performed well enough during their mission to Mountain Glenn they didn't have to devote each of those days off to training. She'd plan things out, and tackle whatever personal issues she had to deal with slowly but surely before the tournament rolled around.

Blake heard the clicking gears before she reached Ozpin's office. Why Ozpin had clockwork constantly clanking metal over his head Blake could scarcely comprehend, but she figured her visit would be brief. The sound would only annoy her for so long.

When the elevator finally reached the top and allowed her entrance, Blake beheld Ozpin standing behind his desk and looking out his window at the rest of Beacon, his arms pressed against his back. Blake wondered if she'd ever seen him without his cane or a cup of coffee in one hand before.

"Sir?" Blake tentatively inquired.

Ozpin turned around and raised one hand, pointing to the chair before his desk. "Miss Belladonna, please, have a seat."

He should've discussed this with Ironwood, but Ozpin was certain now the general had his own agenda for the festival; some way of advancing Atlas's interests at the expense of Vale's.

He should've informed Qrow of another potential candidate, if only as a courtesy for all of Qrow's efforts in recovering Amber. He should've told Glynda, if only to remind her she was an equal partner in this undertaking, and not merely a subordinate.

He should've waited for the tournament to begin to better appraise her abilities, but time was of the essence. The enemy had already infiltrated his house, and this girl had defeated one of their lieutenants.

The poor girl had experienced many difficulties in her life already. Perhaps he should've focused his attention on those who hadn't already suffered under the weight of the world, whose idealism could compel them forward. But he kept re-reading the reports about her, kept replaying his conversations with her.

He'd made many mistakes in his time. Mistakes were inevitable in finding the way to the right course of action. There was a storm coming, and he had to bulwark against it, lest he and those under his charge be swept aside. He knew where to look for a protector.

Ozpin sat down across from Blake. He was silent for several seconds before he leaned forward, tenting his fingers.

"What is your favorite fairy tale?"


	5. Please Don't Say It

**Chapter Five: Please Don't Say It**

When Blake finally left Ozpin's office, she hit every button on the elevator panel to stop at each floor on the way down, to extend the length of the ride. As she tapped each in turn, she took note of one below basement level that she could not access… a hidden space that only Ozpin or those in his inner circle would ever access.

And her. If she wished to.

The elevator doors opened on each floor, keeping her from thinking about it too much by providing a constant distraction of shifting metal and ringing notification. Blake thought she had been conflicted before, when trying to weigh her feelings for Ren with her fear of the past and trying to decide where things were with Sun and what she needed to talk to Yang about.

Now Ozpin told her magic was real, and something she thought was mythology was on life support in some hidden vault below the school. As though life hadn't been complicated enough.

Blake had wanted to see it, to have some confirmation that this madness was real and not just a product of her divided attention and constantly shifting mental state. Ozpin had not indulged that wish, asking she take time to consider his offer before she took even a single step into the unknown.

For good reason, it seemed. She couldn't even ride down an elevator without hesitating. _On every floor_.

How could Ozpin possibly think she was the right choice for this? The Maidens were symbols of hope –well, the stories about the maidens portrayed them as such- and they existed to do good in the world, and none of the stories about them told of any ill deeds they may have committed. The same could not be said of Blake. Even a generous recap of her story would include actions that should've disqualified her from consideration. Even a kind appraisal of her life would find her wanting.

She had taken lives. Worse even than doing the deed herself, she'd watched the killing go on, watched it grow more frequent and done nothing to stop it. Because she loved the one doing the killing, and the beast he kept calling out uttered a cry that resonated with Blake's soul, giving her the companionship she needed in the harshness and cold of the world. Worse than doing the deed herself, she'd allowed it to go on again and again because of how she coveted what prompted such brutal action.

Ozpin made a mistake to even share this with her. She could never be worthy of it. The best she could hope for was to atone for her past mistakes and do better. She couldn't aspire to be the guardian of a kingdom. She couldn't ever proclaim herself a hero.

She had become a better person since she came to Beacon. She'd helped put a stop to dangerous criminal activity, come to terms with her identity, and found friendships that she hoped would endure throughout her lifetime. Along the way she'd sharpened her natural combat aptitude and anticipated improving further so that once she became a graduated huntress she could be an asset in defending any kingdom.

And when she saw a beast emerge from an otherwise kind soul… she did everything she could to draw it out and encourage its growth. She still coaxed out the monster and let it run rampant because of how its voice resonated with her and brought out a part of her that needed such an outlet.

Blake was willing to taint a man's soul just so she wouldn't feel lonely. If Ozpin knew that, he'd have never made this offer. He'd have never entertained the idea.

And Ren… even if Blake couldn't be the savior Ozpin thought her capable of being, she _could_ save him from that monster. All she had to do was stop. All she had to do was not respond to its call.

That too was a sacrifice. And that at least she could manage.

* * *

Nora wondered why Blake hadn't joined them for breakfast. Her mind was put at ease with Ren sitting beside her and politely indulging Jaune's latest showboating, so at least that eliminated _one_ possibility of where she'd gone. But that same thought troubled her: was she going to grow concerned every time Ren and Blake ran off together?

She hated to be apart from Ren, even for brief stretches. She understood that sometimes people needed time to themselves, at least in theory if not in practice, but when Ren wasn't at her side things felt… _off_. Every now and then Nora would have fun spending time with the members of Team RWBY, but even then she found things amiss without Ren patiently waiting on her, ready to step in in case Nora got out of hand and her antics wound up her new circle of friends.

It was a strange sort of dependency, and in the back of her mind Nora knew it wasn't healthy to be so reliant on anyone the way she was on Ren. Because she'd had him in her life as far back as she could recall, he formed a constant; a cornerstone in all her memories. Even at Beacon, surrounded by new friends, she couldn't quite move past that bond. She knew _why_ she felt that way, but now that was a thought that ran contrary to her experiences.

Ren's heart was elsewhere. And try as she might to be supportive of him, Nora hadn't yet been able to accept it for herself. And she didn't want to take that step, because if she did, she would acknowledge the possibility of a future where Ren would be away from her more often. She would be acknowledging the possibility of Ren's happiness not being tied to her friendship with him.

And Blake… Nora understood why someone might like her, might want to be with her. But she couldn't grasp why she had such a pull on Ren in particular. She didn't understand what quality Blake had that instilled in Ren such strong, fervent _passion_ like she'd never seen him express. She hadn't even realized Ren had such a side.

Which meant there was some part of Ren she didn't know about and didn't comprehend. Had she become so complacent; so used to Ren's silence she'd become deaf to his wishes and blind to his nature? Or had Blake somehow created this side of Ren whole cloth, or convinced him to change for her?

The questions were maddening. Nora knew _everything_ about Ren. _Not_ knowing something was tearing her apart. Because even if Nora had been clued into his biggest secret, she had been completely oblivious to the chain of events that led to these circumstances. She'd somehow been blind to what her best friend – _the most important person in her life_ \- had changed into or been hiding from her so successfully. Pyrrha and Jaune at least had the excuse they'd only been with him a few months. Nora had no justification to ever lose sight of anything.

Nora glanced across the table at Yang. She didn't seem suspicious of Blake's absence, nor did she cast any looks Ren's way. If anyone in Team RWBY knew about the relationship, surely it'd be Blake's partner. She betrayed nothing, which only made Nora all the more distressed. Why had this been kept secret so long?

Yang's expression brightened as she looked past them. Nora followed her gaze to see Blake entering the cafeteria. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ren form a small smile.

"Everything okay, Blake?" Ruby inquired as her friend joined them at the table.

"Ozpin wanted to go over the report from the breach," Blake answered, before prodding Ruby with her elbow. "You guys went and gave me too much credit."

There was something in her voice. Blake usually spoke in a dry, deadpan manner, but this tone was stilted. It reminded Nora of Ren when he'd tried to keep her in the dark.

It could've been nothing. It could've been her trying to find something suspicious so she could privately discredit this girl who'd ensnared her best friend.

Nora tried not to give that too much thought.

"No less than you deserved," Weiss argued. "Your performance was exceptional, and we wouldn't have stopped Torchwick without you."

The others joined in the praise, but Blake, despite dismissing their statements and modestly downplaying her involvement, betrayed no emotion. Blake may not have been very expressive, but she wasn't usually _this_ stoic. _Something_ was on her mind, Nora was sure of it now.

She glanced over at Ren, who was only quietly observing events with a small smile. There was a subtle look in his eyes, a mixture of pride and affection as he looked upon Blake, quietly admiring her from afar while her friends sang her praises. Nora coveted that look. She wished it had been for her.

Ren had shown pride before, but not like this. Not for Nora.

She returned to her meal, letting her friends exchange words as she tried not to let _all_ her thoughts be about Blake and Ren.

* * *

Cinder knew they hated these meetings, but she had an opportunity now, and didn't want to squander it in her limited time frame. That impetus did _not_ dissuade her from taking her time in doling out assignments, however.

Once Mercury and Emerald joined her in the dorm room, Cinder took a few minutes to play on her Scroll and review Ozpin's computer activity before issuing the marching orders. It made for a subtle reminder that her time was more valuable than theirs.

"The good Professor Ozpin has selected a potential candidate," Cinder explained, showing them the footage of Ozpin's meeting with Blake the prior semester. "He met with her this morning."

"You really think Ozpin's dumb enough to try and give this to her? She's Ex-White Fang," Mercury reminded her.

Cinder allowed him this one. Mercury was an excellent blunt instrument, but subtlety was lost on him. "That is _precisely_ why I think Ozpin is making this effort. It'd make for quite a gesture of cooperation with the Faunus if he were to entrust one of them with such a responsibility. Assuming, of course, he really intends to make this girl a guardian of the kingdom. "

"And what, his buddies from Atlas just go along with it?" Emerald inquired.

She was further along than her partner. Cinder approved. "That's the best part- it looks like Ozpin's acting unilaterally. The General wasn't present for the meeting, and he hasn't yet communicated his intent to any other members of his staff."

"So what do you want us to do?" Mercury asked.

Finally to the point. "I want you to help… encourage dear Blake Belladonna to accept this offer," Cinder explained. "Even if she doesn't go through with the process, I want to see Ozpin open the vault so I can record the procedure and identify any additional security measures."

"How do we provoke her into action?" Emerald wondered.

Cinder smiled. "You helped her defend Vale in the breach. The rest of Ozpin's children only saw Grimm." Cinder shifted focus on her Scroll, showing her subordinates a communique from Adam. "But _we_ saw the White Fang.

"And perhaps, those old friends of hers' let you know how upset they were to see their old comrade get in the way…"

* * *

Even the best laid plans tended to suffer complications. One with as many moving parts as Cinder's was doomed from the start.

Most of the White Fang who'd been on the train with Roman Torchwick had been killed, either from the explosion that created the passage into Vale, or when that entrance had been sealed by Glynda Goodwitch and left the brave Faunus soldiers trapped underground to fend for themselves with the Grimm.

Most.

Adam ensured that word had not spread about the survivor. Only his trusted subordinates knew, and they were already spreading the line that none of their comrades had escaped. The official line of the White Fang was that a human huntress had callously trapped their friends underground and left them to die. It wasn't a perfect story, but there was no one to counteract the narrative, and the desire for revenge would always outweigh the desire to poke holes in a story most of their number wanted to believe anyway.

It was such a shame. He'd been a good, loyal lieutenant. An asset to the cause.

"You're sure it was her?" Adam asked.

His lieutenant nodded, causing a few drops of his blood to splash against his broken mask. "When I joined Torchwick in the lead car, I meant to present him the Schnee girl. She turned around, and I recognized her, wearing that pretty little black bow."

That bow… how Adam hated the sight of it. Blake was ashamed of what she was, and sealed her true self behind restraints and disguises. She retreated from her true self and willingly embraced mediocrity.

How odd Cinder hadn't mentioned Blake had found her way to Beacon. Odd… but unsurprising.

"She brought her friends down," the lieutenant continued. "I couldn't fight them all."

It gave Adam the onus to execute him. He'd shown weakness before humans _and_ failed to complete his mission. It made the next task all the easier.

"I dragged myself back… the explosion… the Grimm… I don't know how I survived," the lieutenant explained.

"You didn't," Adam simply replied.

Despite his failure, he'd served loyally. Adam made it quick. One stroke of his blade, in a place the Grimm had already wounded him. He spoke no more. He'd never contradict the recounting of events Adam would give to his followers, and that would be the only history the White Fang knew.

There were a handful of others who knew his weakness, but they were men he could trust. Blake had left before Cinder forced his hand. She didn't know what Blake was to him, but she _did_ know Blake was ex-White Fang and hadn't chosen to share the location of the runaway with him.

It was time to make an overture to his 'ally' and request she return the traitor to him. Surely she'd be happy to hand over the girl who thwarted their plans. What use would Cinder have for one Faunus girl?

* * *

Blake hadn't been very talkative, but she'd been able to keep her composure with her friends. When they opted to devote their day off to a picnic, Blake had been relieved. Between her tuna sandwich and a thick novel to hold in front of her, none of her teammates had stopped to question exactly what level of silence would be excessive. She could only be so antisocial before one of them became suspicious of Blake being too… Blake-y.

However, Blake wasn't the only one with something weighing on her mind. When Zwei ran off with one of Weiss's precious family heirlooms, Weiss and Ruby ran halfway across the courtyard in pursuit. Blake finally looked away from her book to Yang, who rather uncharacteristically _hadn't_ joined in the hijinks and remained there, sitting in the grass.

Something had been troubling her, and Blake had intended to discover what. Maybe she could help in some way. At least it would take her mind off Ozpin's offer.

"You okay?" Blake asked, in the most non-committal way she could manage.

Yang had clearly been waiting for an opportunity to talk. "Remember our talk before the dance?"

Blake wasn't sure what that was about, but went along. "Yeah?"

"Well, when we were on the train… that girl working for Torchwick did a number on me," Yang explained. "I hate to admit it, but she had me cold. I thought I was going to die."

It wasn't like Yang to think on her own mortality. She must've been quite scared, and never once conveyed it when she rejoined her friends and helped defend Vale from the Grimm. "There's nothing wrong with being scared sometimes," Blake gently offered.

"It's not that," Yang replied. "Before she could finish the job, someone fought her off. Someone… familiar." Who else had been there? It had only been the four of them, Oobleck, and Zwei on the train. Who could've helped Yang in her time of need?

"My mother," Yang answered before Blake had managed to ask the question.

For several seconds the words just hung in the air while Blake tried to process the simple statement. The person who had –by all appearances- abandoned Yang as a child had chosen now to return and save her daughter's life? It didn't stack. "Are you sure?"

"No," Yang admitted. "I know it doesn't seem possible, but… well, the only picture I have of her, the one I show people when I ask about her, it's her from her senior year at Beacon. Whoever it was that saved me from Torchwick's lackey on the train… looked a lot like her, with long black hair and a sword in her hand."

Blake had heard stranger possibilities today. "And if it was her? Did she say anything?"

Yang shook her head. "I only saw her for a few seconds. She walked through… _something_ and disappeared. Like she wasn't even there."

There was likely a more logical explanation than what Yang was suggesting. It was possible she'd suffered a near-death experience and went through something traumatic, and she'd concocted some scenario that explained her survival after she was saved by the very woman she'd spent most of her life hunting for. _That_ was almost certainly what had occurred, and Yang was no closer to the resolution she needed with her missing parent; merely lucky to have survived battle with an unknown and unpredictable enemy.

Blake kept the thought to herself and put a comforting arm over Yang. She didn't try to offer any other words. She just held onto her partner and waited for more. Yang found Blake's hand on her shoulder and interlocked their fingers, just holding her there for a moment.

Yang had no trouble displaying affection, but it was rare for her to show such vulnerability. Helping her deal with this matter put Blake's mind at ease, and she just enjoyed this moment of bonding, of holding her partner close.

It hadn't been that long ago she took Ren's hand, and things had changed between them…

Blake turned her attention to Ruby and Weiss on their way back, the latter having apparently already forgiven Zwei his misdeeds, based on the way she was cradling him in her arms. Blake gently prodded Yang, who released her grip on her partner's hand. "Don't mention this to Ruby," Yang requested. "Not yet."

"Sure," Blake agreed, searching for her book again.

She hadn't offered many words, but her efforts seemed to have helped Yang, if only a little. But it hadn't done anything to help Blake. If anything, what should've been a moment where she was supporting her partner turned into a grim reminder of how a showing of affection could change someone for the worse.

Blake would follow up with Yang. And respond to Sun's texts.

But first there was something far more difficult to attend to. Something she'd left overdue.

Ozpin's request may have been forefront in her mind, but this task would be just as trying as agreeing to save the world. Because sometimes losing one was worse than losing many.

* * *

Lie Ren was not a man of many words. But even he knew "We need to talk" never resulted in anything good.

Blake had sent the message and arranged a time. When Ren told Nora, he'd feigned uncertainty, playing innocent as best he could. Nora either didn't catch on or went along with his act, and opted to join Weiss and Ruby in Zwei-related activities. In Nora's absence, Jaune and Pyrrha barely noticed Ren. They didn't even realize he was gone until he'd reached the library, and once he got there, they weren't even remotely surprised. With their friends otherwise engaged, there was only Ren and Blake in their sanctuary. Blake stood before the three seats and the coffee table, and Ren was eager to join her.

She wasn't wearing her bow. The mere sight of her ears called the beast within him, and he was once again consumed with the thought of her. It was very tempting for him to cast aside any restraint and just let himself go, but that wasn't why Blake had summoned him. If she had wanted to see the other side of him, she wouldn't have asked him to talk.

"Ren, before I say anything else, I want you to know how important you are to me," Blake told him. "How much I value our friendship, and how happy you've made me in our time together."

The compliments always preceded something harsher. Blake had removed her restraint- why was she still holding back? "That isn't you being honest," Ren firmly told her.

Blake averted her eyes. She'd been caught, and she knew it. "I want to stop," she said in a very small voice.

That wasn't true either. She was shaking. He could hear her heart pounding. She couldn't bear to meet his eye because of what she might do when she did. The other side of her was fighting its way to the surface, and she didn't want to make the struggle any harder.

She was trying not to be that person. But Ren _wanted_ her to be that person. He wanted her to be as she was. "Why?"

Blake continued to avoid looking at him. "Because I've changed you, and I don't think I changed you for the better. When you're with me, even if it doesn't seem like it, you're…" Blake struggled to find the words. "…I don't want you to get any worse. I don't want you to ever stop being the friend I had before."

The beast was calling out to her, and she was doing all she could not to respond. Ren didn't want to let her go, even if he knew that staying here would leave him unbalanced. Even if he did give himself over to his desires, even if who he was came to be consumed by this other side, even if he could never use his Semblance again… right now, all he wanted was to be with her, and it was getting exponentially harder for him to think of anything _but_ right now.

"You didn't make me worse," Ren tried to assure her. "And I will _never_ stop being-"

He wasn't just her friend. Not anymore.

"We're not _just_ friends, Blake," Ren decided. "We've changed. We've moved past that."

Blake was quiet for a long time. She still wasn't looking at him, but he knew she wished to. She wanted the same thing he did, to share the moment, to be herself, and for their souls to resonate. If she would just meet his eye, things would be simple. There'd be no more doubts.

"I'm not good for you," Blake mumbled, changing her story ever so slightly. "Yes, we've changed, but only because I forced you into being someone you're not."

Someone he had never been, perhaps, but what did the past matter? The past couldn't be changed. There was only now. There was only Ren and Blake, and their…

And their…

"Blake," Ren said softly, reaching towards her chin. He felt her pulse even there, and felt her reach up her hand to caress his own, longing for his touch, longing for him to see her as she was.

He knew how he felt. There was no other way to describe how he felt, here with her. He felt this way for her, and only for her.

"Blake, I lo-"

"Don't say it," Blake interrupted, still not meeting his eye. He felt her tremble, and heard her suppress a sniffle. She was fighting against tears. "I mean it- please don't say those words."

Ren tried to finish it, but he held himself back. He reined in his impulse, and did not say the words.

"Have you ever said them to anyone before?" Blake asked, her tone uneven, shifting inconsistently between fierce and timid. "They have _weight_ , Ren. They stay with you. They don't change just because time passes. They don't stop being true, even when you know things are over. So please… don't tell me that. Please don't say it."

She _wanted_ him to say it. If he turned her head, if he met her eyes with his own and spoke the words to her, she would embrace him. She would be able to say them in return. She'd stop trying to bury her true self away. She just needed him to be brave and take the first step, just as she'd done at every other moment advancing their relationship to this point.

He'd meant it when he began to say the words. He'd still mean it now. Here, they were away from the rest of the world and existed only for each other. Even if he only told her here, even if they only ever acted upon it here, the words would still be true.

All Blake told him was… she wasn't lying, but she was compromised by fear. She was letting life intrude and complicate what they had.

If he didn't seize the chance now, she would let that doubt decide her course. If he obeyed her wish, she would walk away.

The beast clawed beneath his skin, demanding he turn her head and hold her gaze. She would look into his eyes, he would say the words, and they would be for each other, and unite as one. It was such a simple action he couldn't believe he'd yet to take it.

They were more than friends. If he held his tongue now… they'd change into something else. If he let her leave, she might be gone from his life, in any capacity, forever. The other side of himself would have no opposite, leaving him to war within his own soul because he was too weak to tell the girl he loved what he felt.

But what he felt wasn't what she needed to hear. Finally, Ren withdrew his hand from her cheek and stepped back. "I understand."

It was his turn to avert his gaze. His turn to hide himself away.

He would never show this side of himself again. He knew it. She knew it.

Blake stepped past him. Ren let her go.

He reached up his hand and placed it to his chest, counting his heartbeats. He couldn't find the right tempo, but he had to wait. He had to delay it a while longer, and so attempted to find the balance in his emotions that would allow him to activate his Semblance.

All for show. All a delaying tactic. He needed her to be farther away.

Once he was certain Blake would not hear, Ren reached down to take hold of his teapot and chucked it against the wall, shattering it into a dozen pieces. He sank down into one of the chairs beside the coffee table and buried his head in his hands.

* * *

Blake hadn't matched Ren's composure. She hadn't even made it a hundred feet before she broke down, but she covered up her mouth and nose and suppressed the sound. She kept running so her footstep would mask the sound of tear drops splattering on the floor.

He'd have said the words. He'd have meant them. And she wouldn't have looked back.

She'd been there before. She _had_ to look back, had to remember where it all led. She wouldn't let Lie Ren turn into a monster because of her.

Blake broke into a run, and in her haste both to leave and to conceal her sobs, she never noticed a green-haired girl who'd been indulging in a bit of peace and quiet.

She'd meant to find Blake long enough to be subtle. Instead, she'd found an embarrassment of riches, entirely by accident.

Emerald smirked to herself and excused herself from the library.


	6. Then I Want to Know

**Chapter Six: Then I Want to Know**

"Why did you tell the Faunus girl?!"

Ironwood had paced in front of Ozpin's desk for several seconds before finally venting his rage outwards. Ozpin was pleased he'd developed some sense of restraint. "She's shown promise, and I think she merits consideration."

"Be that as it may," Ironwood replied, quickly dismissing Ozpin's response so he could continue bloviating, "this isn't information any one of us can share without at least informing the other parties involved."

Glynda was standing to Ozpin's left. She may not have betrayed the same concern, but Ozpin knew she had it, and felt undermined as well. He had to put both their minds at ease. "I didn't take Miss Belladonna down to the vault. I just told her a fairy tale."

"I knew from the beginning the most likely candidate for this would be one of your students," Ironwood allowed. "But I expected to be able to advise you with suggestions of my own and consent to whatever final decision we reached collectively."

"A decision has not been made," Ozpin reminded him. "A prospective candidate has been informed."

"A prospective candidate who joined your school after misrepresenting herself," Ironwood reminded him. "And only _now_ you tell me she's also defected from the White Fang?"

"That's hardly relevant, James," Glynda argued. "Miss Belladonna stood with her teammates when faced with fighting her former comrades."

"Exactly the sort of acts necessary for a deep cover agent," Ironwood fired back. "Do you think the White Fang cares if one of their operations was blown or a few of their men died? They're fanatics, and fanaticism inspires fierce loyalty."

"One operation that they committed enormous resources to," Ozpin chimed in. "If Miss Belladonna is acting on their behalf, what greater blow could she possibly strike than successfully breaching and invading Vale?"

"But the White Fang _did_ succeed," Ironwood growled. "It doesn't matter if your students and faculty held the line. All the people will remember is the Grimm found their way in on your watch."

"Perhaps," Ozpin conceded. "Which makes it all the more imperative that we select a new guardian; one who can inspire hope and give the citizens of Vale peace of mind."

"And how many of them will accept a… a Faunus as that guardian?" Ironwood inquired.

Ozpin cast him a coy smile. "More and more of them all the time, James. And eventually, _all_ of them will have to accept that an extra set of ears is far less to worry about than the creatures of Grimm at the kingdom's walls."

Ironwood sighed, but bowed to Ozpin's logic. "And when will you tell her exactly what she'll be getting into… if she's even inclined to see this through?"

"Now that you've arrived, I intend to introduce her," Ozpin answered. "There are more factors to consider than just Miss Belladonna's own feelings on the matter. I assure you; just because she is a candidate does not mean she's the only choice I mean to present."

Glynda was caught off guard. "Professor Ozpin… do you mean you intend to bring _more_ of our students into this plan?"

"If necessary, yes," Ozpin confirmed. "We must proceed carefully and consider many possible variations if our plan is to succeed. We must be ready for any eventuality."

Ozpin looked down at his computer, at the reports on Pyrrha Nikos and Coco Adel. "A soul has already been split in two. There is no reason to conclude it cannot be divided further."

* * *

Ren had taken several minutes to wait, sulking in his seat and fighting back against the anger and sorrow now driven to the surface. He tried to gain control of his emotions, counting his heartbeats and measuring the length of each breath, but it was a futile effort. All he did was replay the same moment, over and over, when she asked him not to say it; when Blake begged him not to tell her he loved her.

He loved her. That didn't change just because she wouldn't let him say it. That didn't stop being the case just because she walked away. What did it matter if he'd never said it to a girl before today? What did it matter if he lacked her experience, if he hadn't borne witness to a bad end like Blake had? He'd never felt like this for anyone before. She had _changed_ him, and he didn't want to change back.

Yet now that love had morphed into a pain that would not leave him. He felt as though he'd been stabbed and he was clutching his chest to keep blood from pouring out. He felt cold even in a warm seat in a well-insulated building. He felt alone even when his friends were waiting back in the dorm, and he could return to them at any time.

And the monster dwelling within him, where before it had fought to be free from his flimsy bindings, now it just howled in anguish, like an animal unable to find a lost mate and crying out for her. Ren found it fitting the only balance he could find between himself and this beast in his soul was in sharing their despair. He was no longer fighting for control because they had both lost the thing they wanted and neither could summon the strength to make war against the other.

Ren's body felt heavy when he stood up from his seat, looking at the shattered fragments of his teapot. Floral patterns on the porcelain had been cracked or rent asunder, leaving every flower on the surface wilted and broken.

He'd purchased the teapot because it reminded him of the one his mother used in Kuroyuri. When he used it in this library, his sanctuary from the initially unfamiliar Beacon, he had only to take a few sips to find himself back at home. Now it was destroyed. By his hand. By his anger.

Ren gathered the fragments up and cleaned his mess. He looked at the couch, the armchairs, and the coffee table and accepted that he wasn't likely to see them again. The world had encroached on his hidden grove, and the keeper of this place had lashed out when left abandoned. There was no longer any reason to remain, knowing all he'd do is remember what few, fleeting moments he'd had when he'd been happy here.

This was no sanctuary anymore.

* * *

Emerald hadn't hesitated in filling in her mistress. Cinder had sat quietly, listening to the juicy details with a keen ear. For a brief moment, Emerald mistook their conversation for two teammates sharing in gossip.

It was a pleasant thought, but that wasn't the life they had. Emerald was reporting on her reconnaissance, and explaining the vulnerabilities of an enemy target. She had no doubt that was how Cinder perceived their conversation. Emerald would have to view it through the same lens.

"Well, enjoyable as this is to hear," Cinder observed, "It seems you were too late. What good is it to know about a relationship that's already ended?"

Emerald was surprised. She thought Cinder more observant than that. "It's not over for either of them," Emerald replied. "She wants it to be, but she hasn't moved on yet. She wouldn't shed tears for a man she just wanted to get away from."

Cinder considered Emerald's words. "Perhaps," she allowed. "And how would you have us use this information?"

"Nobody knows anything about that Ren guy," Mercury called from the carpet, only half-listening to their conversation while he played with his Scroll. "He'd be an even tougher mark than the Faunus girl."

"No, he wouldn't," Emerald argued. "He's the one who wanted to move things ahead. He's the one we should be talking to."

"And what? Have him not say anything back?" Mercury mocked.

Emerald shook her head. "We tell him to chase her. We convince him to fight for the girl he loves." She focused her attention on Cinder, ignoring any further input from Mercury. "Either she goes along with it or she doesn't. Either way she's distracted while Ozpin's trying to convince her to go along. Either way she's too busy thinking about her boyfriend to realize what's really going on here at Beacon. Either way she won't be ready if Ozpin asks her to do it."

Cinder considered her options. She'd prefer Blake Belladonna be the one Ozpin selected, if only because she'd be easier to kill than the other two prospective candidates… but then, all Cinder really needed was for Ozpin to open his vault and be distracted long enough for Cinder to seize opportunity. And there was no distraction –no weakness- like love.

"Very well," Cinder agreed. "Show me what you have in mind."

There was a message on her Scroll from Adam. No doubt it was something inconsequential- something that could wait until morning. For now, there was a target for them to tear down and weaken with their subterfuge.

* * *

Nora had not expected Ren to return quickly after Blake sent him a message. But when she heard Blake return to her dorm only a few minutes after Ren left to meet her at the library, she became curious as to what had gone on. Maybe they were trying to be discreet and just wanted to spend a little time together. Maybe something had changed and Blake's teammates needed her for something. It wasn't like things always ran smooth in a relationship. Pyrrha and Jaune's had been nothing but missed signs up until the dance. Presumably Ren and Blake had their good days and their bad.

But the longer Nora waited for Ren to return while hearing Blake chat with her teammates, the more she began to wonder what had gone on. And she no longer permitted herself to be out of the loop. If _anything_ had changed, Nora would find out and be there to offer her opinion. It had been tough enough letting Ren out of her sight when he'd had a rigid schedule of tea meetings. Surrendering him to Blake's whims had been excruciating.

Nora found a reason to excuse herself from her dorm and headed to the library. When she found Ren, he was depositing the scattered fragments of his teapot into a waste bin. He'd had that pot since he was twelve. He liked it because it reminded him of the one his mother used to have.

Nora didn't want to make assumptions, but she had a pretty good idea why it was broken. How she opted not to speculate on, but _why_ … Ren took notice of her, looking weary. More than that: sad. Lost. Abandoned.

Nora rushed over and pulled Ren into a tight hug. She didn't want to see his face when he looked like that, and buried her face into his chest.

Ren was slow to respond, standing stiff in her arms for several seconds. When he returned Nora's hug, he placed a good deal of his weight on her, crumpling upon her small frame and breaking down. Pressed against his chest, she felt his heart pounding. With his head poised above her own, she heard him sobbing.

For anyone else, he'd never allow himself to behave like this. Before Blake, no one else had seen the emotions Ren usually kept bottled up. No one but Nora.

She clung tightly to him, holding her friend, placing herself before him as a shield for his broken heart.

* * *

Blake had no trouble keeping her friends in the dark. She had no difficulty sleeping through the night. When she woke the following morning, she found herself unburdened by memories of the previous day haunting her steps.

Team JNPR didn't join Team RWBY for breakfast. According to Ruby they were making pancakes back in the dorm kitchens. That was the first time Blake wondered about what became of Ren, and it put her mind at ease to think of him once again engaging in habit. Whatever pain he went through, he hadn't allowed it to prevent him from keeping his friends fed.

Weiss wanted to see the registration list for the Vytal Festival tournament when it was posted in the amphitheater. Blake saw the names and headshots of each of Team JNPR immediately after seeing Team RWBY's own faces scroll past. It reminded her that whatever had happened before today, they were all going on to represent their school in the tournament. Though they couldn't be pitted against each other by randomized selection, they might end up fighting one of them in the final round, if they made it to the top eight.

Ruby mentioned Jaune borrowing her cape and Yang's gauntlets and Nora's hammer without asking, much to Weiss's amusement. She mentioned Ren having to hold Nora back when she found out, and Blake recalled how hard it was to recall instances of seeing Ren without Nora at his side. Presumably that would be the norm again. It must've been an adjustment for Nora, however brief.

And save those three isolated moments, Blake put Lie Ren out of her mind. She wasn't going to address what sort of relationship they would have now; whether they'd stay friends, whether things would what they were before. Right now she had another priority.

Sun had been patient with her, and she was ready to offer her gratitude for that. Blake texted him to join her for a trip to Vale, and her teammates were only too happy to let Blake go if it meant she was going to spend her free time with Sun. They all seemed quite encouraging of it. They all seemed _very_ supportive of her being around Sun.

They exchanged small talk riding in the Bullhead. Apparently Sun's teammates Sage and Scarlet weren't too happy with the accommodations and couldn't comprehend why Sun had raced ahead to be in Vale months before the tournament started. While she listened to Sun talk about his issues, Blake wondered if his teammates would have an easier time adjusting if their team leader wasn't always running off by himself.

But then again, he was spending time with her, and she did approve of that. He was constantly talking and always vibrant and energetic, which made a good contrast. There was nothing hiding below the surface. Sun was nothing _but_ surface. He wasn't complicated, and that was exactly what Blake wanted him to be.

Ozpin's offer was still in the back of her mind. It made for burden enough, and spending time out in the city with Sun made that burden lighter. It was a problem for later. One she'd have to address soon… but not one that she needed to answer today. Today, she'd spend some time with the boy who'd been understanding enough to let her sort life out and not get in her way in the meantime.

Not that he hadn't _wanted_ to… and undoubtedly, if she'd taken too much longer Sun would've just scaled the side of her dorm and knocked on her window. But because he'd been able to restrain himself and respect her wishes for a few days, Blake was only too happy to share her time with him now.

While they shared dinner at a noodle house staffed by a strangely familiar looking older gentleman, Sun let Blake in on Team SSSN's plans for the tournament, with Sun himself planning on going all the way to the finals. He seemed pretty confident he'd place well; for a moment between mouthfuls he even suggested he might win it.

Her teammates had wondered whom they'd be sending ahead. Yang was the obvious choice, but Weiss was another possibility. Which of them they sent ahead would determine who accompanied them to the doubles round, since they'd probably fight best alongside their partner. _If_ Team RWBY chose Yang to represent them, she'd probably want Blake to join her for the second step. And her team had occasionally suggested sending Blake herself to the finals, given how she'd been the one to defeat Roman Torchwick.

Blake didn't want to give Ozpin anymore reason to try and recruit her. Maybe she could convince her teammates to try something different, and pair up Yang with someone else. Maybe if Blake only fought in the first match, Ozpin might realize there were better choices.

And then all she'd have to deal with was an uncomfortable secret. Those weren't always easy to keep, but as this day with Sun had demonstrated, all she needed to alleviate the burden was some good company.

* * *

Emerald had no inroads with Team JNPR –they hadn't been all that clear what her intentions were after Mercury threw the match against Pyrrha- but she _had_ become at least cordial with Team RWBY, mostly because Ruby Rose seemed determined to make every other student, even exchange students, a member of her circle of friends. And when Blake left her teammates on some trip to Vale, Emerald saw a chance to sow the seeds that would lead to poor Blake's downfall.

And Team RWBY would _thank_ her for it, because they'd think they were helping their teammate in her time of need.

Emerald poked her head into their dorm room and scanned around. Her eyes were briefly drawn to the precarious hanging bunk bed Ruby sat upon, but she quickly remembered her mission and turned her focus to one of the empty bunks. While her eyes lingered there, Yang took notice of Emerald from the bunk above it. "What's up, Em?"

Emerald hated interacting with them, but she put on a smile that looked quite genuine. It helped that she had plans. "I was just looking for Blake. Wanted to get her opinion on something."

"She went to Vale today," Yang explained, before casting a broad smile of her own and adding: "With Sun."

This was too easy. The bimbo had done half the work for her. Emerald dropped her own smile, adopting a look of surprise and confusion. "Whoa, with Sun? Weird."

"Weird?" Ruby repeated. "What's weird about that?"

She had piqued their curiosity. Now Emerald had to slowly reel them in. "It's just… nah, it's nothing."

Both the sisters moved from their beds and drew closer. It didn't matter what Emerald was about to say; all they knew was she hesitated to say it. Now they _really_ wanted to know. "What?" Ruby asked.

Emerald shifted her gaze in multiple directions, feigning uncertainty, with just a little twinge of guilt. "I… well, um, I was in the library last night and I heard Blake talking to-" She stopped herself before she said his name. She wasn't supposed to know it. She couldn't betray the fact she knew him; she was still playing the part. "Um… I don't know his name. The guy in green from Team JNPR."

"Ren?" Ruby inquired.

"Yeah, so what?" Yang asked, dismissive. "Blake and Ren have tea every week."

Emerald had to continue playing the fool. But she didn't want to keep this conversation going any longer than necessary. "Um… well, it didn't sound like they were talking about tea. They… uh…"

She knew what she wanted to get to, but Emerald had to play this out a little further. She couldn't be too blunt. This was supposed to be gossip. She couldn't be _too_ willing to share. She had to tease just a little bit. Yang may have thought there was nothing to hear, but Emerald still had Ruby's attention.

"Well, I don't want to pry or anything," Emerald continued, once again feigning some sense of shame and doubt, before speaking way too fast and way too quietly: " _but it sounded like they were breaking up or something._ "

"Wait, what?!" Ruby nearly jumped from hearing Emerald's scandalous report. Emerald suppressed a smirk. She'd played it perfectly.

"No way," Yang interjected, still dismissive of Emerald's claim. She was Blake's partner. She had no reason to assume something like this had escaped her notice.

"No, I'm serious!" Emerald argued, trying to be more assertive and being way too insistent in her tone, exactly as a girl trying to convince a doubting friend would be. "I overheard them talking and I could've sworn I heard the guy –Ren, right?- about to say he… you know, that he… but she cut him off and told him not to say it."

Yang was still having trouble believing this. Ruby was hanging on Emerald's every word, stunned by this revelation. That was about the reaction Emerald had anticipated: it would've been far too easy if she'd convinced them both.

"Uh, anyway, I was going to ask Blake about it, but since she wasn't here…" Emerald let the thought hang. Her work was done for today. She'd planted the seed, and now Team RWBY would do some of the work for her. "Look, just forget I mentioned it to you, okay? I was just curious. I don't want Blake to think I was talking about her behind her back or something."

Emerald started away, leaving the two sisters to exchange a look. She heard them whispering to each other before Emerald was even out of earshot. She'd hooked them, and all that remained now was to let nature take its course. Emerald set the stage for them, giving them the plot and the players. Now Team RWBY would bring the drama.

* * *

Cinder was becoming concerned by Adam's insistence about helping him retrieve the White Fang traitor who'd derailed their plans. It _should've_ been an easy request to comply with: a gesture of cooperation towards her Faunus allies by handing over the girl who led to the death of their comrades. It wouldn't compromise Cinder's infiltration –she could easily keep her hand undetected- but it would interfere with her plans in maneuvering Blake Belladonna into Ozpin's grip.

But she could hardly tell Adam _that_. Unlike Emerald and Mercury, Cinder kept him in the dark about the location of Amber –of _the Fall Maiden_ \- and the actual goal of this mission, and had no desire to bring Adam closer into the fold. She had no intention of giving him any piece of information that might give him leverage over her, because eventually –inevitably- the White Fang's usefulness would be at its end and the day would come for Cinder to eliminate him.

Right now, however, she had no _good_ reason to refuse him. Why would she care for this one Faunus girl's life? Why would a single first year student matter to her? And the longer she stalled, the more reason Adam would have to suspect Cinder was hiding something; or at least, hiding something that might matter to him.

Then again, Adam had never shown much concern for his subordinates. Why was he working so hard to appease them? It wasn't like he couldn't keep order just by displaying his strength and ferocity. This girl's life should've been little more than a bone throw, but Adam was poised over it like he expected a feast.

There was more to this. Something about Blake Belladonna had caught the attention of the implacable Adam Taurus. For some reason, she was worth Adam provoking Cinder's ire with his incessant requests. Cinder went back to her Scroll, comparing what Blake had revealed to Ozpin during their conversations with what she could gather about Blake's time with the White Fang.

She'd abandoned them almost immediately after Cinder first approached Adam with an offer of alliance. Apparently she'd intentionally sabotaged a robbery of an SDC train on a mission with Adam.

With _just_ Adam.

Cinder smiled as she realized why Blake caught Adam's attention. It seemed she was quite a popular girl…

* * *

"We should ask him."

"No."

"But what if it's true?"

"It's not."

"But what if it _is_?"

"It's not."

"But what if Blake really-"

"Rubes…"

"Come oooon!" Ruby protested, to Yang's continued consternation. "You want to know; I _know_ you want to know."

"You're wrong," Yang stated clearly. "If Blake wants to tell us, _then_ I want to know. Right now, I'm fine not knowing."

It was a bald-faced lie, and worse, a lie to her dear sister. Normally, Yang wouldn't allow herself to commit such a heinous action. But Blake had kept Yang's secret when asked. It'd be unfair of Yang to pry into Blake's personal life when her partner had been much more discreet with Yang's business.

Moreover, it didn't seem possible. Ren never demonstrated a romantic interest in _anyone_ , and the girls in Team RWBY had concluded it was because it would be impossible for him to talk to any other girls without Nora peeking over his shoulder. They all assumed he'd resigned himself to being Nora's, in whatever capacity that meant.

But then again, he'd never actually _said_ anything to confirm that. Ren was everyone's friend, but he was only close with Nora, and maybe Jaune at a stretch. In fact, the only member of Team RWBY he'd spent any extended time with was Blake when they met in the library for tea.

Now that Yang thought it over, it started to sound more and more likely. The tea meetings were the only times Ren was ever away from Nora, and at some point their numbers dwindled from three to two when Fox had been called away, leaving just Ren and Blake alone together. And Ren _was_ quite handsome, even if he never played it up. Yang could recall more than one girl at the dance watching him intently when he cut a rug in his tuxedo.

Ruby watched Yang, knowing she was winning her over. That Yang was spending so much time thinking about it without acting meant she was out of her element, and she'd go along with her sister's scheming.

 _Sorry, Blake…_

"We talk to Nora," Yang firmly instructed her sister, laying down the ground rules before they began in earnest. "There's no way she didn't know – if any of this really happened."

Ruby nodded. "Let's go."

But when they went across the hall to knock on JNPR's door, they found Ren alone in the room. He looked much less composed than usual, with his hair and clothes disheveled, and his eyes redder and puffier than they'd ever seen before.

Yang just stared at him, slack jawed. Ruby elbowed her sister in the side, let out a loud cough as she cleared her throat and asked: "Hey, Ren, where's Nora?"

"She went to the landing pads by the waterfall," Ren answered. "She said she wanted to meet someone there."

"Oh, no," Yang realized. Ruby had already disappeared in a flurry of rose petals.

* * *

She was at least patient enough to wait until Blake said goodbye to Sun. But every moment she waited, watching Blake smile and laugh with the Faunus boy, her anger grew and it became harder and harder to resist the urge to jump in and make her opinion known.

She'd never been mad at Blake before. She'd never been mad at any of her new friends at Beacon before.

But she'd hurt Ren. That was no different than hurting Nora. There would be recompense.

Once Sun was gone and Blake headed back towards the campus grounds, Nora leapt in her path and dramatically pointed her finger right in her friend's face. "We need to talk."


	7. Ambivalence

**Chapter Seven: Ambivalence**

Blake hadn't interacted much with Nora before. Nora usually roped up Ruby and Yang into schemes, or went along with one of the sisters' own while Blake looked on from behind her books, shaking her head at their silly antics. Blake had never seen Nora be serious. She wasn't sure Nora had ever spoken to her specifically without Blake's teammates present.

Still, Blake could guess what was on Nora's mind. She wouldn't come all the way out to the edge of the waterfall alone because she wanted to invite Blake to participate in her latest series of hijinks. Ren hadn't mentioned telling Nora, but it honestly didn't surprise Blake Nora had found them out. "Do we?" was Blake's coy reply.

Nora narrowed her eyes. "What did you do?"

Blake knew where she was going now. There was only one reason Nora ever became angry. Blake didn't bother to conceal her hand any further. "I told him it was over."

She told him more than that. A _lot_ more. But if Ren had told Nora every detail, Nora would probably have brought her hammer to the conversation. Undoubtedly she'd shown some restraint in not doing so as it was.

"And Ren went along with it," Nora replied, completing the picture for herself. Fortunately, it seemed Nora was only working off some of the information available. "Just let you up and walk away."

She didn't know. She didn't know how close he'd come to saying it. Blake had to keep it that way. "I told him I wasn't good for him. It took him a while, but he knew I was right." It was just true enough to sound plausible. It also put the onus of blame on Blake, which was exactly what Nora wanted to think. She very much wanted to accept that Blake wasn't good enough for him.

Nora pointed in the direction Sun had departed. "And I take it you're good for him?"

Blake wasn't sure how to describe her relationship with Sun. She was taking things slowly there, and so far she hadn't had reason to fear the Faunus boy was hiding away some other side. Blake also wasn't sure exactly how she felt about him and where she wanted things to go. She only knew that right now he was what she wanted, and right now _he_ was good for _her_.

"I don't know if I am or not," Blake admitted. "I don't have the best track record. I'm just trying to see where things go, and taking things slow there."

Nora must've known that was true. Whatever she knew about Blake and Ren, Blake had never gone very far with Sun. The closest they'd ever been was during the dance, and given Nora had spent that same dance with Ren, Blake was sure she understood that not every physical act of affection was romantic.

Or maybe not. Blake had taken so long to express her interest in Ren because she'd been convinced he was involved with Nora, only to be proven wrong there. Maybe Nora simply had no sense of subtlety at all. Maybe she'd never needed to veil her thoughts. Blake was in the dark on Nora's past, save that she'd known Ren a long time. Even that didn't given her a lot of information to go on.

Nora was still staring at Blake, no doubt thinking on how to proceed with her interrogation. Blake tried to assure herself this had been inevitable, and that she could eventually convince Nora that breaking up with Ren wasn't some world-ending catastrophe.

But then, Blake also couldn't tell Nora the _real_ reason, so… she had to rely on half-truth and hope Nora filled in the blanks herself. And hope Nora wouldn't conclude the best course of action was to break Blake's legs.

Apparently, she had reason to be hopeful. Nora scoffed and turned from her, walking away. It was the harshest Nora had ever been –outside of that food fight thing anyway- though Blake couldn't deny the disdain being shown had been merited. She was grateful she hadn't had need to explain further.

A gust of wind struck the side of Blake's face, followed by a flash of crimson and a flurry of rose petals as Ruby Rose seemed to materialize beside her. "Blake! Nora's about to-"

"I know, Ruby," Blake interjected, pointing to Nora's back as her friend(?) departed.

Ruby gave a soft 'oh' of comprehension at Blake's side, before abruptly shaking her head and refocusing her attention to Blake. "So… um… we uh… heard some things," Ruby began, choosing her words carefully and dancing around the issue while she clearly wanted to discuss in greater detail, expectantly waiting for Blake to confirm or deny.

Blake sighed. This had been inevitable, really… just as she'd revealed to them how things ended with Adam, now Blake had to tell them about Ren. And as she had with Nora, Blake would have to rely on half-truths and hope her friends weren't going to pry too deep.

"Let's head back," Blake suggested. "I'd rather just tell this story once."

* * *

With Team RWBY absent and Lie Ren alone, now seemed an ideal time for Emerald to approach him and put the plan in motion. But she didn't _know_ Lie Ren, and it was never wise to approach a mark completely cold. Emerald would need a good reason to even engage him in conversation, but had no good starting point. The best she could hope for was to approach seeking forgiveness; it'd leave her with nothing to leverage over him, but it would set him in motion if he wanted to get his girlfriend back.

Emerald took a moment to put on her face. She had to suppress any frustration and distaste and look apologetic. Her Semblance would help to hide her visible expressions, but she'd have to keep from ever scoffing or changing the tone of her voice. She wanted to appear apologetic and remorseful, but also had to keep herself from laughing.

When she finally knocked on his door, all Lie Ren saw was a girl looking distressed and repentant. "Um, hey, sorry to bother you, but I… I uh, kinda overheard you and that Blake girl in the library."

Emerald had to really struggle not to crack up, but Lie Ren betrayed no reaction to this surprising revelation. "And?"

He was a stoic one. Emerald couldn't get a read on him, but she pressed on. "And, well, um, I accidentally let it slip to Ruby and Yang across the hall. Just wanted to let you know so you heard it from me." It sounded genuine and apologetic. Emerald had managed to avoid letting sarcasm force its way through.

Lie Ren was silent for several seconds, but his expression never changed. "Thank you for telling me. Was there anything else?"

This wasn't going as Emerald had planned. She'd expected him to… _care_ just a little bit about his secrets being out in the open, but it had yet to faze him. She changed tactics. "Anyway, um, I just… I wasn't sure if maybe I could help you somehow… it was all pretty rough."

Again Lie Ren betrayed no emotion. "Thank you for your concern."

This was getting Emerald nowhere, and she couldn't afford to push too hard. She just didn't want to return to Cinder and report she'd failed to push him. Not because of Cinder's disappointment; because Mercury would be right, and she'd never hear the end of it. Still… for the moment, she had to beg off. "Okay," was her awkward response as Emerald shuffled off, and Ren shut the door.

She'd have to refocus her attention on Team RWBY, but only moments earlier she'd tried to extricate herself from the conversation with them. But speaking to Ren was getting her nowhere and she had to come back to Cinder with _something._

Emerald glanced around. Ren's teammates had been absent, and Pyrrha Nikos was another possible candidate being considered by Ozpin. Had Lie Ren's teammates gone unaware of his little romantic entanglement?

If so, she'd need to play a different part. Or Emerald's apparent repentance would eventually be exposed. She'd need to find some way to convey the information to them without exposing her own hand directly. She'd need to ensure they heard by proxy.

Word would spread quickly now that Emerald had let the truth slip, but she could always speed it along further. She just needed to find someone who might be inclined to help spread the gossip.

* * *

Ren's only thought upon hearing Emerald's revelation was how surprised he was to have never noticed an onlooker. He'd known all too well how distracted he became when his attention was on Blake, but to have never noticed he was being watched… that disappointment was the closest he'd felt to an emotion.

The rest of the time he'd been listening to Emerald, he'd just wanted her to get on with it. He just wanted her to finish her piece and he contributed as little as he possibly could to the conversation. He just wanted that to be over so he could return to his isolation.

Ren had never been the most sociable. Even with Nora, the person he'd known longest, he'd rarely gone on at length. But now he had less desire than ever to interact with others. He didn't want to let more people into his life. Things were complicated enough for him, even among his small circle of friends.

When he'd opened himself up, he'd unleashed something that scared away the woman he'd fallen in love with. Were that not punishment enough, it had also led to him being irresponsible and not contributing to his team as much as he should have.

He couldn't let himself feel. Nothing good came of it. He couldn't reach out and bring anyone else in; he had to tend to the responsibilities he had first and mend whatever relationships he'd damaged in his selfish romantic pursuit. He had to become whole again, so his teammates would never be endangered on his behalf again.

No more feelings. No more pain. No more want.

Just Ren, stoic and quiet, playing the role they needed him to play.

* * *

Cinder hated these face to face meetings. She didn't like Adam at all, appreciating him only for his battle prowess and the resources he provided. Still, she had something she held over him now, and needed to remind him of that fact. Doing that via texts over Scrolls wouldn't have the same impact. Showing Adam he merited the time to taunt personally would also send the message she at least took his attempts seriously.

Cinder found a location in Forever Fall that hadn't been marked as significantly dangerous by Beacon faculty and took a Bullhead out of the city. Adam may have been able to slip into Vale during the breach, but the White Fang couldn't just freely wander the streets now that order had been restored. And Cinder so detested interruptions during her business.

Adam arrived at the exact time Cinder had scheduled. He came alone, which always surprised Cinder to see. Even though he knew how powerful she was, Adam didn't fear her. He obeyed her for the sake of his subordinates, and not because he was ever concerned for his own life.

"The girl you wanted me to hand over," Cinder began, pulling up an image on her Scroll and holding it up. "You didn't mention you were so close."

Adam's Grimm mask concealed his eyes. He betrayed no emotion, no concern, no surprise at being found out, if indeed he cared at all. "I didn't think it would matter to you."

Normally, that'd be true, but Cinder had plans for this girl now. "You're right, it doesn't," Cinder tried to play it off, keeping up the façade. "But I'm averse to trying to extradite a Beacon student at the moment. Ozpin is more alert than ever, and the Atlesian military is patrolling the campus. You understand why it might be… difficult."

"I don't care about the price," Adam tersely replied. "I know where she is. The _only_ reason I haven't forced my way in to take her back is out of respect for completing your plan. Surely one first year student is worth maintaining our alliance?"

He was calling Cinder's bluff. Either she agreed to his request or she admitted Blake Belladonna was worth something to her. Either way she'd lose some control over the events to come, and her grip was already tenuous. Things could still proceed if Belladonna wasn't selected by Ozpin, but Cinder would have to deal with a more dangerous adversary, based on the other potential candidates. Indulging Adam now would make her mission more difficult.

"I think this is reckless," Cinder finally answered. "What's to stop you from simply claiming her when we launch the attack in earnest?"

It was a plausible lie. Zealot though he was, Adam understood the importance of logistics and proper planning. He understood the need to compromise when working with allies who didn't share his ideology. He understood the need to bow to Cinder's will.

But not today. "I don't care what I have to give up. I don't care what _the White Fang_ has to give up. She belongs to me, and I _will_ have her."

Cinder underestimated the strength of Adam's obsession. This wasn't something as simple as mere lust. He wanted to _possess_ the poor girl, and Cinder could only begin to comprehend his intentions. He was willing to sacrifice for Blake Belladonna, and that gave Cinder power over him.

Controlling the White Fang so completely would have its advantages… which made it all the more imperative Cinder _not_ give Adam the girl. Holding her over his head would be so much more effective.

"I can move up the timetable," Cinder offered. "But it's still crucial I wait until the final rounds of the tournament. We need to implicate Atlas or all this will be for nothing."

Again she withheld the truth from him. She focused on the politics, trying to appeal to the small part of him that retained its sanity in the face of his overpowering obsession. If there was one thing that might convince Adam Taurus to stay his hand it was causing pain to his political enemy.

Slowly, deliberately, Adam nodded. "Very well. Just remember that she is mine. _Nothing_ will keep me from her."

How wrong he was. It was unfortunate that such a beneficial alliance would be ending, but it would serve Cinder's goals all the better if both Blake Belladonna _and_ her extremist lover were dead by the end of this mission. "Who am I to stand in the way of love?" Cinder whimsically replied.

* * *

Three quarters of Team RWBY waited for Weiss to get back. Nora had returned at some point while they waited, joining Ren in their dorm without so much as a glance across the hall to her friends on the sister team. This was quite unusual, as Team RWBY generally had more trouble keeping Nora _out_ than letting her in. They ultimately concluded it was best not to leave Nora and Blake in an enclosed space, especially not one they planned to continue inhabiting.

Weiss eventually responded to Ruby's thirty-second text message and returned to the dorm, at which time her partner in red hastily dragged her inside. Weiss scolded Ruby for her grabby nature, until Ruby burst out: "Umwellit'sbecauseBlakewasgoingoutwithRenthiswholetimeandnoneofusknew." After she managed to process the rapid fire delivery, Weiss became _quite_ interested in what Blake had to say.

Yang generously offered Blake the top bunk so she could better address her three teammates. Blake took a long breath and closed her eyes as she recounted it all.

"Ren invited me to join him for tea, and for weeks that was all we did," Blake began.

Her desire for peace and quiet motivated her to accept an offer from a man she hadn't yet gotten any read on. She thought it had to be a reprieve from the initial difficulty she had trying to keep up with her more extroverted teammates.

"Until I found out that he knew I was a Faunus," Blake continued. "He'd known for a long time and never told anyone. He knew before I told any of you. He knew before we'd even been assigned to our teams."

Blake never expected anyone to keep a secret on her behalf without some form of compensation. She'd entered the academy expecting to be unable to trust anyone, to just quietly endure her four years and then move on without ever forming any lasting bonds of trust and support. She'd been pleasantly surprised by her teammates, and then surprised again when Lie Ren showed her kindness without thought of reward.

"I began to look forward to spending time with him," Blake added. "I started to like him. I mean, I always liked Ren, but… I started to _like_ him."

How different her life would be now if she'd never reached over and held his hand. Or if she'd stopped there.

She wasn't sure how to continue. Her friends were hungry for every detail, but Blake had to start getting selective in how she told the story. She didn't want them to think any differently of Ren… or at least mitigate how much their perception of him had _already_ changed. She didn't want them to know why she kept going back.

"I kissed him for the first time last semester, I think like the sixth or seventh week…" Blake deliberately obfuscated the date, so the timeline would muddy a bit. She knew they were already retracing the events, and Blake didn't want them to look too closely. If they thought Blake's own account was imperfect, that would make it seem more authentic.

And she didn't want to tell them how vividly she remembered it. How happy she'd been when, after a few moments of hesitation, Ren had kissed her back. How for an instant she'd been able to forget the past and live in the moment. How she hadn't let him go, and held the embrace until they were both short of breath.

"Every week we'd just get together for a few hours," Blake explained. "We weren't sure whether or not to tell you guys, because we didn't know how long it'd go on, or how serious it'd be."

"Wait, didn't you stop going to join him for a while?" Ruby curiously inquired.

"Around the time Sun showed up," Yang pointedly observed.

Blake cursed them their recollection of her personal life, but played it off. "Like I said, we didn't know what we had. And you remember how that week went."

Weiss sternly nodded. She had the most reason to recall it, after she and Blake had nearly come to blows before they patched things up. It didn't stop her from inquiring further. "And then?"

"And then we were… I don't know, we were _off_ , or we took a break, or whatever you want to call it," Blake explained. "We knew we'd stay friends whatever happened, and Ren was cool about it."

Ren had been a wreck after Blake left him. Then Blake went and made things worse when she sought him out on a particularly bad day. Blake didn't want to lie to her friends, but she didn't want to reveal either of those facts to them. It wasn't how she wanted them to think of Ren… or of her.

"Anyway, after the breach, I went to join him for tea again, just to make up for lost time," Blake explained. _And totally not because of that look he had in his eyes_.

It didn't reflect well on Ren to reveal that there was a monster within him. It reflected worse on Blake to say she'd willingly coaxed it out.

"We…" Blake had to suppress a blush as she recalled that day. Her friends were no doubt hungry to hear every last torrid detail, but Blake sanitized her thoughts and carefully composed the rest of her line. "… we gave it another try. I didn't ever stop liking him, I was just so worried about Torchwick and the White Fang I couldn't focus."

Yang gave a knowing nod from the bunk below her. But Ruby hadn't been privy to that particular conversation, so her thoughts shifted elsewhere. "But you and Sun went to the dance. I thought you and him were… I dunno, a thing."

Blake had known that was coming. She didn't have a good answer for that, so she deflected. "And we all thought Ren and Nora were a thing, but they really _were_ just good friends."

That successfully diverted their attention, as each of her friends glanced at the door to the hallway, and the JNPR dorm across from them, one after another. No doubt they were still struggling to comprehend how Blake had wooed Ren when Nora constantly flitted around him. They were probably even more baffled considering Nora had given Blake a _very_ stern talking to just prior.

Blake took advantage of their quiet confusion and pressed on. "We gave it another try, but we realized we weren't right for each other."

That was the biggest lie of all. Ren had been ready to take the plunge, and Blake refused to let him. When he finally took initiative and tried to move forward, Blake cut him off at the knees.

"Who ended it?" Yang asked from below her. She asked in a voice far too timid to sound like Yang. She sounded almost as meek as Ruby was capable of being.

 _I did. He did. It was mutual._

Blake shook her head. "It doesn't matter. All it did was remind us of what we already knew."

It probably wasn't a completely satisfying answer, but it gave her friends just enough of a picture. Blake was sure they'd be pressing her for details on some of the specifics and elaborate on just how far things had gone, but Blake was confident those juicier details meant they wouldn't delve too deep on the reasons. There was meatier fare to sate their curiosity.

"So, now, this thing with Sun…?" Ruby just kind of let the words hang.

"We're friends," Blake clarified. "Maybe that'll change someday. _Maybe_."

She knew that was what Sun wanted. She was grateful he hadn't pushed the matter too hard. She appreciated both his restraint and his blunt manner. His patience might very well be rewarded, because he hadn't revealed any hidden part of himself that uncomfortably reminded Blake of a past she'd rather forget.

Her friends murmured amongst themselves as they plotted how to proceed. Blake had expected a relentless interrogation, but based on the tinges of red in their cheeks, they weren't about to ask her any more about Ren's personality or the exact time frame of their relationship. As Blake anticipated, they chased the juicy gossip instead.

It'd be embarrassing to talk about, but it put her mind at ease. It looked as though she'd obtained the best possible result, and kept the truth carefully buried away.

* * *

Across the hall, Nora had sat quietly with Ren for several minutes, hearing the occasional word across the hall whenever Blake's teammates asked her questions. Blake herself had been far too soft for Nora to overhear, which left just her and Ren and silence.

It was nothing new for Ren to sit quietly while events took place around him, but he'd become even less talkative. Even alone with Nora he'd yet to say anything, and usually Nora could provoke him into saying _something_. It was very unsettling to Nora for her to say a dozen words without Ren returning with at least _one_ of his own.

Still, she was patient with him. He'd had a rough few days; suffering probably the first real hardship and difficulty he'd had since he started attending Beacon. Even the Grimm breach hadn't deterred him in the slightest. This girl had done what a massive horde of monsters couldn't and actually broken Ren's eternal calm.

Nora suspected he wasn't really in the mood to talk, but there were a couple important matters to address. "It sounds like Team RWBY knows. Are you going to tell Jaune and Pyrrha?"

Ren stared up at the ceiling. "If they ask."

He had no desire to explain his actions. He had no wish to elaborate on things. He didn't want to think on it. He didn't want to care. He didn't want to _feel_.

"I could tell them if you like," Nora offered.

"If that's what you want," was Ren's non-committal reply, rolling onto his side and staring at the wall, his head turned away from Nora.

It wasn't fair that he took out his frustrations like this. Nora had been supportive of him the whole time, and once again he was being short with her and keeping her in the dark.

He didn't care. He didn't want to deal with it. He just wanted to lie there, to find peace and quiet and put it all behind him.

Ren raised a hand to his chest and counted his heartbeats. Still he couldn't regain balance, but at least there was no beast deliberately interrupting his pace and trying to unseal its bindings. At least it was only his own thoughts distorting the process and not Blake.

The memories were still too vivid; too fresh in his mind. He just needed a little more time. He just needed quiet.

* * *

Emerald dreaded reporting back to Cinder. Mercury had laughed for a solid twenty seconds when he heard Emerald hadn't made any progress in provoking Lie Ren. Then he laughed harder upon hearing that everything had more or less been resolved and Emerald no longer had any leverage to work with in manipulating either team. Only Mercury could see the humor in botching a mission undertaken on Cinder's behalf. Apparently he'd never failed their mistress, or had a short memory. Either way, he'd likely see her less patient side today.

But when Cinder returned from her meeting with Adam, she addressed them both before Emerald could even try to explain her failure. "Our friend in the White Fang is insistent we hand Belladonna over to him. Emerald, whatever you've put in motion, put a stop to it. I don't want to risk the girl compromising things because of her new boyfriend."

Emerald chose not to question her good fortune and accepted her orders. "Yes, ma'am." She faintly heard Mercury suppress a snicker behind her, but was relieved he decided not to sell her out and reveal what a failure her attempt had been.

Cinder pulled up her Scroll again, showing them a picture of a girl with black hair and bright green eyes. "In the meantime, I'd like to introduce you to our new teammate. I've already seen to the trouble of getting her registered for the tournament…"

Emerald must've still been overwhelmed with gratitude, because Mercury saw it before she did. "I know her."

Cinder nodded. "Her name is Neo. At least for the first round, we're going to have to get used to having her with us. She's on her way from Vale and will be joining us tomorrow."

Emerald finally recognized Torchwick's little lackey. "And what does she get for going along with all this?"

"A detour," Cinder explained. "We free Roman from the Atlas flagship, she plays her part. I'm honestly impressed Roman was able to inspire such loyalty…"

"That's gonna add a lot more moving parts," Mercury observed. "This plan was complex already."

"It means we have to act while Ironwood is on the ground," Cinder explained. "We're adjusting the timetable –ever so slightly- and making our move before we finish the tournament." Cinder turned her attention to Mercury. "I need to embarrass both Ozpin and Ironwood. That means I need you to do what you do best."

"Oh?" Mercury raised an eyebrow. "Who am I fighting?"

Cinder turned her attention to Emerald. "That's your priority now. Find out who your friends on Team RWBY are sending ahead."

Coco Adel. Pyrrha Nikos. Blake Belladonna.

Team RWBY had a strange knack for throwing a wrench into Cinder's plans. If they sent Belladonna ahead, so much the better. Seeing her publicly shamed would make Ozpin's decision that much more questionable, and no one would shed any tears when she fell. Cinder's actions could seem heroic, if the right context were provided.

But then if Blake _wasn't_ sent ahead, all that meant was Cinder would adjust her plans and let Adam overplay his hand instead.

One way or another, her ally would serve his purpose, and the Maiden's powers would be exposed for Cinder to snatch. The only question was which particular body she'd step over on the way to victory.

* * *

 _The Vytal Festival Tournament_

Emerald laid the praise on thick for Team RWBY. She had to work _very_ hard not to reveal her contempt, nearly losing focus when they offered to share a meal. But eventually, after choking out each compliment of their combat performance in the first round, Emerald eventually managed to ask who Team RWBY planned on sending ahead after their first win. She started awkwardly, but once she managed to force some eye contact she managed to seem genuinely curious. "So, yeah… looks like Merc and I are gonna be moving on to the doubles round. What about you guys?"

"Well as the leader of this team, I've thought long and hard about this decision," Ruby began, only to be cut off by Weiss leaning in.

"We put it to a vote," Weiss explained. Ruby looked stunned by this interjection.

"Uh, yes, but _I decided_ we should put it to a vote!" Ruby assured, regaining some confidence in between garbled wording.

"We voted for Weiss and Yang," Blake explained.

"I will happily represent Team RWBY," Weiss confirmed, showing a bit of grace and humility.

"Yeah, we're gonna kick some butt!" Yang helpfully added.

Emerald put on the best laugh she could manage. "Well, if Mercury and I see you down the line, don't think we'll go easy on ya."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Yang assured, casting a confident smile.

Emerald promised she'd wipe that smile from the blonde's face. Even if she wouldn't get to face her in battle, Emerald would have the satisfaction of witnessing Yang's downfall.

But it wasn't Belladonna moving ahead, which changed Cinder's plans somewhat. Emerald would have to let her know right away.

But she did hesitate, only briefly, as Emerald found Mercury inspecting shoes at a nearby vendor and ushered him out of earshot. "I hate them."

"Orders are orders," Mercury reminded her with a shrug.

"I just… how can they be so _happy_ _**all the time**_ **?** "

They wouldn't be happy too much longer. Emerald surmised they could have their fun while it lasted… as long as they did it way out of earshot of her.

Once she finished filling in Mercury, Emerald hastened to inform Cinder so they could adjust the schedule.

* * *

"What? How could my card be declined?!" Weiss gasped, looking on in horror at the message on the cash register. "I was barely into my monthly allowance…"

Blake's order had taken extra time and effort and she was _really_ hungry for fish. She started slowly edging the bowl closer, until the ramen stand proprietor (who bore an uncanny resemblance to the coffee shop owner in Vale) took notice and seized the bowl from her, leaving Blake to collapse against the counter and whimper over her lost meal.

"Maybe _I_ can help?"

Team RWBY's attention was diverted from Weiss's embarrassing credit problems and took notice of Team JNPR, Nora standing out most as she bounded merrily along. Though Ruby correctly identified the speaker with a big, multi-armed wave and a happy shout of: "Pyrrha!"

"Aw, you don't have to," Yang assured her.

"She _could_ ," Blake hastily suggested, sidling closer, so close she nearly pushed Weiss out of her seat. Blake's attention was all for Pyrrha. She barely noticed Jaune on Pyrrha's right or Nora on her left or the greenish blob standing furthest from her.

Once Pyrrha assured her that Team RWBY had earned the reward, Team JNPR joined them, and Blake had her precious fish back. She paid no heed to what the others ordered. She didn't even hear the fourth member of Team JNPR speak, he was so quiet.

Only Nora matched Blake's ferocity. Weiss and Pyrrha didn't even finish their meals. Jaune and Ruby looked sick. Yang seemed content. The fourth guy on Team JNPR quietly inquired: "Do you think it's wise to eat before a fight?"

Good question. Pyrrha didn't seem concerned at all. Nora's deafening belch seemed to answer in the affirmative. Jaune looked like he was about to vomit, but that was nothing new. Nora suggested he aim it at the enemy, which the guy in green seemed to think would be disgusting.

Blake wasn't listening as she savored her full belly. Nora was exuberantly extolling their team's many virtues (and Jaune) and remarked how Glynda barely ever felt the need to yell at them anymore. Then she went off on a tangent about a hypothetical series of events that might follow them losing the tournament, making herself depressed and then falling forward to sob.

"So, yeah," the guy in green finished for her. "We're feeling pretty good."

He always did have an understated sense of humor. Now that Blake thought about it, he was actually really funny, and could be funny without ever saying a word. Blake cast a glance his way, inclining her head over Weiss's shoulder. She thought she was just staring at Nora while she sobbed against the counter, but that wasn't where Blake's eyes ultimately ended up.

Pyrrha rested a comforting hand on the shoulders of both Nora and the still-ill Jaune. "Don't fret. If anything we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines and not… well, _murderers_."

"Yeah, don't sweat it," Yang agreed, before casting a glance over at Blake. "We've all faced _way_ worse before."

Blake overcame any food-induced torpor and quickly turned her eyes away from the guy in green, briefly looking down at her hand as she composed her response. "Let's see… Grimm invasions, violent extremists, a destructive sociopath…"

She didn't know if the guy in green was looking at her. She wasn't going to pay him any more heed.

But when Team JNPR were called back to the stadium by a very impatient sounding Port and Oobleck from the commentary desk, Blake found her eyes shifting back to the guy in green. Fortunately, this seemingly went unnoticed by her teammates, and Blake had shifted her eyes away by the time their glances shifted her way.

When they suggested Team RWBY cheer on Team JNPR from the stands, Blake raised no objection. She'd already forgotten her brief lapse and returned to the pleasant haze of a full stomach and a fresh victory.

* * *

Ren had thought for a moment Blake had cast a glance his way, in a look that lasted a little too long.

He put the thought out of his mind. He'd seen what he wanted to see. For the moment, he was focused on his scheduled matchup with Team BRNZ. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted.

But he was. _Again_.

Even now, even when all hope was gone, when she was on his mind, she was the _only_ thing on his mind. So much so he didn't properly respond to Jaune's cry of "RETREAT!" As a result, Ren was sloppy in dodging the shots of an enemy sniper. And even sloppier in trying to dodge the attacks of another opponent, who outperformed Ren at every turn, landing hits and dodging all of Ren's own, leaving Nora to intercede on his behalf.

Fortunately, the enemy had used an electrical weapon, which supercharged Nora's Semblance, allowing her to easily fend him off and buy Ren the time he needed to join his teammates behind cover. His blunders hadn't cost them the match yet.

He had to concentrate. He had to forget.

Those eyes. Every time he saw them, he remembered how they would change and sharpen, how the sclera would tighten up into thin slits as her true self emerged…

Ren shook his head and composed himself. He had to get through the fight. He had to help his teammates. He couldn't let himself be a burden.

He had to stop thinking about her. Had to stop caring.

"Ren, distract the sniper!" Jaune called. A quick scan of the battlefield informed Ren he was buying time for Nora to gain a more advantageous position.

He had to step up now. "Sure. Why not?"

It came across as much drier than he'd intended. He was being short with Jaune, and he hadn't deserved such a display of disrespect. One of his dearest friends, the man who called him 'brother'… he didn't deserve to be treated with such ambivalence.

Ren held off on that concern. He needed to perform his role competently and help his team advance. That was his only priority.

Pyrrha was taking on two enemies to compensate for Nora's absence. She could easily be flanked by the enemy sniper. Ren dashed in, focusing on getting to his teammate, to helping her, to protecting her.

Thought of Blake sleeping beside him, thinking that he'd keep her safe, even if she didn't need his help…

Ren narrowed his eyes and slid under Pyrrha when she jumped to attack one of their opponents. At least his reflexes were still on-task. At least Pyrrha hadn't suffered from his distraction.

Ren found the same opponent who'd so handily outperformed him before. Ren wanted to make a point of repaying the favor.

She was watching, somewhere in the stands after all.

But when Ren found his foe, he remembered his mission. Nora needed to be covered. Ren couldn't show off, at least not for long. His adversary, Nolan Porfirio, tried to strike Ren with his cattle prod, but Ren caught it between the blades of Storm Flower, swinging the steel around and holding the boy in the blue vest hostage, daring the sniper to fire again while he held her comrade pinned.

Unfortunately, the sniper opted not to help her teammate and focused her attention to the mountain as Nora ascended. Ren cursed his showboating and called to her: "Nora!"

He'd never get there in time. He couldn't compensate for his error. Nora would be hit, and it'd be Ren's fault…

"Pyrrha!" Jaune called. Pyrrha broke ranks, abandoning her fight and rushing to her team leader, who used his shield as a springboard for her to leap off. Pyrrha intercepted the sniper's shot, absorbing the impact with her shield but still suffering a hard landing. Ren breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Nora find a source of electricity to further power her Semblance, but cursed himself for showing off and forgetting the mission.

Fortunately, his incompetence seemed to go unnoticed. And no one remembered it when Team JNPR regrouped and Jaune instructed them to employ "Flower Power!"

Apparently he thought it was a team attack name for Ren and Nora to utilize. Despite them having never employed such a tactic previously. Then he suggested a different attack name for Pyrrha and himself, and Ren was relieved that she was as lost as he was. If _Pyhrra_ hadn't been paying attention to Jaune, his oversight was that much more forgivable.

Then Nora whacked their enemies with her hammer and all was well. Team JNPR waved to the crowd and celebrated their victory, Ren doing his best to look content, though to audiences watching around Remnant he probably just looked bored.

On their way out, he suggested Nora join Pyrrha in the doubles round, in recognition of her performance. Nora beamed at the pride he'd shown in her.

Anything to deflect attention away from himself and his distracted mind. It seemed he didn't need a beast to distract him; a lonely boy with a broken heart was no better off.

* * *

Blake had barely watched the JNPR/BRNZ battle, but she was _quite_ invested in the SSSN/NDGO matchup, to the point she filled Yang in on Neptune's crippling fear of water. But she most enjoyed the end of the fight, when she spotted Sun and Neptune engaged in a victory dance.

"Looks like the dorks made it to the next round," Yang observed.

Sun noticed Blake in the stands and pointed up to acknowledge her. She felt some warmth come to her cheeks at the unexpected gesture. "Emphasis on 'dork.'"

"That concludes the matches for today," Oobleck informed them over the loudspeaker. "Please leave the coliseum _**IN A CALM AND ORDERLY FASHION!**_ "

"Come on, let's go congratulate them," Yang suggested. There was no way she'd missed the red in Blake's cheeks. No doubt she wanted to encourage that sort of response, or provoke another one.

But something caught the attention of Weiss, who stopped abruptly behind Blake. Blake paid it no mind: she was in too good a mood.

At least until she had descended to the lower levels of the Amity Coliseum, and saw she'd received a text message on her Scroll from Professor Ozpin.

She _had_ kept him waiting. Blake knew he wouldn't like the answer she'd give, but she was ready. She'd just found some peace in her life; she didn't need to compromise that by chasing this strange ambition of the headmaster.

* * *

Cinder examined the list of teams that had advanced and registered for the doubles round. Emerald's report was correct: RWBY was sending Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee ahead. That was disappointing, but it gave Cinder _something_ to work with. She found a team from Atlas for them to fight against, to further drive tensions by having the Schnee Dust Company heiress fight against her countrymen. They wouldn't be too challenging –RWBY had to advance to the finals, after all- but they should divert attention well enough.

JNPR would be matched up against some talentless hacks from Mistral who lucked their way to victory. No need to show them off, only need for them to win.

Coco Adel… it was best Cinder eliminated that variable immediately. Mercury and Emerald could use a little competition, but Cinder was confident her handpicked acolytes would remove the second-year from Ozpin's consideration.

Now all that remained was for Blake Belladonna to respond to Ozpin… and for Cinder to know whom her target would be.

* * *

Ozpin waited in his office, weighing his options. If his plan were to succeed, he'd need Blake Belladonna to agree to his proposal. Because while there were _many_ promising candidates in his student body, he didn't want the circle to grow too wide. At best, he could choose two, and Ironwood would choose the third.

It was almost certain he'd choose the robot girl. The chamber that would transfer Amber's Aura had been derived from the same technology that birthed this P.E.N.N.Y. and Ironwood was en route to introduce the girl to Ozpin, after he met with a subordinate due to arrive with reinforcements for the security staff. She would carry a portion of Amber's soul, and Atlas would be satisfied with the arrangement by keeping their hand in it.

It was dangerous to divide a soul so, but Ozpin was certain it was preferable to trying to place the whole of the other half into a single host. He had faith in his students, but he doubted anyone was suited to trying to house so much energy (and so many unfamiliar thoughts) and he thought by carefully dividing the soul further he could minimize the mental strain on those chosen to carry the burden of becoming a Maiden.

If Blake Belladonna refused him, he'd have no choice but to rely on Coco Adel and Pyrrha Nikos. And he hadn't informed either of them yet, because he'd decided to appease Ironwood and make sure his peers were present for each introduction. Time was running out, and if they didn't speed things along, they'd have no choice but to try the process with a single host. And that could… _change_ the poor girls in unexpected ways.

The elevator chimed and Blake stepped into his office. He waved her to the seat before his desk and sat down.

Blake was silent for several seconds. Ozpin suspected she was trying to find the most polite and respectful way to decline his offer.

He couldn't blame her. No one ever deserved to have such a burden forced upon them. And he wouldn't press her. Desperate as their need was, this had to be the girl's choice, or they were no better than those who'd stolen half of Amber's soul in the first place.

But when Blake finally met his eye and spoke, she said: "I'll do it."

They were both silent for several seconds afterward. They were both surprised.

Ozpin was happy to hear it. His hunch had been correct, and his faith had been rewarded. Now he could explain the details to her, and invite her into the confidence of his peers.

Blake had intended to decline from the start, but when faced with the question now, she couldn't find a reason to say no. She was in a good place in her life, and the enemies she'd fought had fallen silent. Now, presented with the opportunity to do some good, she found the burden was not so heavy.

There was nothing for her to fear.


	8. Bonds

**Chapter Eight: Bonds**

Once again, Ozpin had to dismiss Blake before he could bring her down to the vault. An issue in the courtyard involving an Atlesian soldier and a drunken teacher from Signal Academy had caught his attention and forced him to depart. Blake couldn't help but take note that he brought both the soldier and the drunk back to Beacon tower with him, so presumably they were both more than they appeared to be.

Penny had been accompanying General Ironwood for a demonstration to the Beacon headmaster. This wasn't too far out of the ordinary –many powerful and influential individuals in Atlas had been invited to 'view' her- but General Ironwood seemed very insistent on this meeting. He'd said that today was special; today was the day she'd been waiting for. Today was the day she'd know why she existed.

Penny had never needed a reason before. She'd never needed to ponder the existential questions that plagued most of the meat bags. She existed. She was alive. She didn't fully comprehend how or why, but didn't feel a need to ascribe to her life some sense of meaning. Penny found meaning in the acts she performed, the good she did for others specifically and for Atlas in general. Whatever new purpose the General had in mind for her wouldn't suddenly instill in her meaning: she'd already decided what she should do with her life.

The General's conversation became increasingly heated, to the point she could easily hear it even as she waited a floor below the Beacon headmaster's office. It seemed the inebriated huntsman and General Ironwood really didn't get along very well.

The drunkard started laughing. "You think they're scared of your little ships? I've been out there and I've seen the things she's made and let me tell you… they _are_ fear."

"And fear will bring the Grimm," Professor Ozpin added. "A guardian is a symbol of comfort, but an army is a symbol of conflict. There's an energy in the air now, a question in the back of everyone's minds: if this is the size of our defenses, what is it we're expecting to fight?"

"So, then… what would _you_ suggest we do?" Ironwood asked.

"I suggest we find our guardian," Ozpin answered.

"And?" Ironwood pressed.

"And I'm ready to see what you had to contribute to that mission," Ozpin allowed. A few moments later, Penny received a message from the general to meet him in the headmaster's office.

She was grateful they hadn't talked about Penny in her absence. It was a courtesy few people extended to her. Even General Ironwood rarely had any compunction about referring to her like a machine or a tool.

Or a weapon.

When the elevator chimed and the doors opened, Ironwood gestured her to enter. Slowly, timidly, Penny entered. The inebriated huntsman took a long drink from his hip flask. The female professor at Ozpin's right bore a contemplative look, trying to place where she'd seen Penny before.

"This is Penny Polendina," Ironwood introduced. "The first synthetic life form capable of generating an Aura."

Penny put on a brave face and smiled. "Salutations!"

The inebriated huntsman's only greeting was a loud belch. The female professor glared at him. The headmaster smiled and waved her over to his seat. "A pleasure to finally meet you. I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to be formally introduced when you attended the dance here."

Penny was surprised he recalled her from that event. She could sense General Ironwood glaring at the back of her head. She hadn't been as discreet as he'd intended her to be, and she'd hear about that fact at length once this meeting was over.

The General quickly composed himself and carried on. "Professor Ozpin has graciously agreed to include Atlas in his plans. And you, Penny, are the key to making this process possible. The technology used to construct you will _also_ be used to transfer fragments of Aura into multiple hosts."

"I will help in any way I can," Penny assured both Ozpin and Ironwood.

Ozpin seemed concerned by her quick response. "I'd prefer you consider this matter carefully before you agree to it. Your role in this matter _could_ be immensely helpful, but I want to make it clear that your assistance is _voluntary_. I will not force your hand." He pointedly looked past her at Ironwood. "And _the General_ will not force your hand."

Penny didn't want to disappoint him. She wanted to help, in whatever way she could. "I'll do whatever I can, Professor Ozpin."

Ozpin was quiet for several seconds before he finally addressed her again. "Tell me, Miss Polendina… what is your favorite fairy tale?"

* * *

"…it appears we have a new access point," Cinder observed, receiving data from the bug in Ozpin's desk. Apparently, General Ironwood had been foolish enough to link his Scroll to the system, and now they had access to _all_ the data the head of security for the festival carried around with him. Cinder now had the keys to both the kingdom _and_ the fleet guarding it at her disposal.

"Anywhere good?" Emerald inquired.

"You could say that," Cinder confirmed with a wry smile, before abruptly ending her celebration and issuing her commands. "Go to your rooms. I'll prepare everything for tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am," Emerald replied. "Got it," Mercury added.

Once she was alone, Cinder first adjusted the randomization process. Emerald and Mercury would deal with Coco Adel and her partner, and hopefully dissuade Ozpin from considering her for the transfer. That'd be one less problem to deal with later.

But as Cinder poured over the data, she noticed something very odd… Ozpin was apparently planning to use his chamber with _multiple_ subjects, including a visiting student from Atlas he'd just granted an audience. Was it a test of some kind? Or some gesture of cooperation demanded by General Ironwood?

Cinder had to see what made this new girl special. She returned to adjusting the fight plans for the following day, and opted to pit her against a few Beacon students in the doubles round. There was a game being played here that Cinder had yet to comprehend, and she needed another clue.

She had to move quickly. Adam was going to strike after the second round of the finals in the singles bracket, and Cinder needed to ensure all the pieces were in place by then. And at least one of those pieces had escaped her notice.

Ozpin only needed one host to receive the powers of the Fall Maiden. So why let more than one girl in on the secret?

* * *

 _The Following Day, the Doubles Round_

Ren had not seen Fox for several weeks, and spotting him in the stands, he'd intended to say hello. They were long overdue to share tea, though Ren was still in need of a replacement pot.

But when he eventually met up with Fox and Velvet, neither was in a particularly good mood. Their teammates had been defeated by Mercury and Emerald, and Ren suddenly found himself averse to trying to greet them. He very much doubted his old drinking buddy would be in the mood to share in good cheer at the moment.

When Ren abruptly changed direction and went instead to find Nora and Pyrrha before _their_ scheduled matchup, Nora found him first, dashing through the stands and pulling him aside. Nora determinedly searching for him was nothing out of the ordinary, but it _was_ odd that she wasn't focused on her pending bout.

"Where did you go?" Nora fiercely inquired.

"I was going to say hello to Fox," Ren answered. "I haven't seen him in a while and thought I might find time to invite him for tea."

Nora seemed relieved. She looked as though she'd suddenly become unburdened, as though Ren's disappearance for a few minutes had wracked her nerves. And perhaps it had, as she'd been keeping a closer eye on him than ever after… after Blake.

"I know you need time to yourself," Nora allowed. "I know you have other friends you might want to spend time with. It's just… well, the last time you upped and disappeared on me…"

He knew where she was going. "I haven't seen her, Nora. I don't want to see her." Their brief exchange of words at the noodle stand the previous day had been the only interaction they'd had since their breakup. And Ren didn't imagine any _more_ interaction would help to mitigate the unhelpful thoughts he continued to have about Blake.

"I know, I know," Nora assured him. "I just… ugh, I just worry, you know? She had a hold on you and I still don't really understand why."

She made it sound worse than it was; as though Blake had ensnared him and imprisoned him until she'd tired of him and cast him aside. That wasn't what happened, and Ren didn't want Nora to think less of Blake because of it.

But then, the real reason might change her opinion of _him_. Or both himself and Blake. "You shouldn't be so concerned," Ren tried to reassure her. "Right now, the only girls on my mind are you and Pyrrha."

Another lie. It helped that Ren _wished_ it were true. It'd be less complicated.

Still, it seemed to perk Nora right up. "Yeah, good thing, too! I'd better be able to hear you cheering!"

"That is highly unlikely," Ren dryly observed. Nora seemed very happy with his understated response and began skipping along back in the general direction of Pyrrha and Jaune. Ren followed after, casting another glance at Fox and Velvet as they met their still-unconscious teammates.

The second battle ended just as resoundingly below, as a pair of students from Atlas annihilated Russel Thrush and Sky Lark. While it was unfortunate another pair of Beacon students had been eliminated, Ren couldn't muster much sympathy. If he'd ever felt any sense of camaraderie with the members of Team CRDL, he'd lost it when they'd abused Jaune and tried to harm Pyrrha. Or perhaps earlier, when they'd mistreated Velvet because she was a Faunus.

And he'd done nothing. He and Blake had already begun... and he'd stood by and done nothing right in front of her…

Ren shook his head, trying not to think about Blake, or the past, or his own failings, or any of it. The future was what mattered, and his future would consist of supporting his teammates as they carried Team JNPR's banner ahead in the tournament.

Unfortunately, Ren received another reminder as he made his way through the stands, as Ruby Rose spotted him and Nora and abruptly screeched to a halt. Though Ren and Ruby rarely exchanged many words, she would usually greet him with some degree of fondness when she saw him. Now she just stared at her feet and then shuffled awkwardly along.

Team RWBY knew what had gone on. Perhaps Ren was cursed to receive constant reminders of his time with Blake, because none of his friends on their sister team had addressed him since they'd found out. Ren had spoken several times, and only his own teammates ever responded to him. Given how often RWBY and JNPR met to spend time together, Ren wondered if it'd be better for him not to speak at all, so they could forget his presence and enjoy spending time with Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora.

Perhaps it really was all his fault, and Blake had been right to be afraid of what she'd found within him. Maybe he had always been meant to be the outsider, the outlier in the circle of friends.

His feelings would go away in time. The beast was silent now, and Ren thought he could accept things were truly over. He'd decided not to say the words and given Blake the respite she'd sought, though it hurt. If he could endure the pain of that loss, surely he could manage holding his tongue and letting his friends have fun without him.

* * *

Penny continued to feign being upbeat and positive. There were eyes everywhere, and with Ciel assigned to watch her, she couldn't afford to betray any concerns. No doubt every retainer from Atlas in her vicinity was reporting back on her to someone higher up the chain. She didn't like this feeling of mistrust of everyone around her, but she couldn't be too forthcoming. Most of them just thought she was a beneficiary of nepotism, and not a synthetic. And Penny had no idea how many were aware of Ozpin's and Ironwood's plans for her.

Still, life did have its bright spots, and people she could trust implicitly. "PENNY!"

She turned and saw her enthusiastically waving both arms. "Ruby!" Penny replied, before leaping over and tackling Ruby to the ground with a massive glomp of a hug.

"Whhyyyyy…" Ruby groaned from somewhere pressed deep into the hallway floor. Penny finally freed her from the hug long enough to introduce Ruby to Ciel, who seemed to already know everything about the girl in the red hood.

Rather than try to explain that, Penny requested some time alone with her friend from Beacon, and they stepped aside to chat privately. After sharing a story involving a magnet, Penny suddenly noticed she had an opportunity to share her burden with a dear friend.

"Ruby... there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about," Penny began.

She couldn't reveal all the details -Professor Ozpin and General Ironwood had been very clear on that- but she did want to let her best friend in on at least some of the events to come. The only question was how to phrase it.

So she started by espousing a sincere wish: "I want to stay at Beacon."

The usually optimistic Ruby became very serious and concerned. "Penny, they'll never let you do that."

"I know," Penny acknowledged. "But I have a plan."

Technically, Ozpin and Ironwood had the plan. She just wanted to amend it slightly, in such a way that would necessitate she remain.

It wouldn't matter what duties were imposed on her by General Ironwood as recompense for this, but if she were allowed to remain, the bonds of friendship she'd made at Beacon would help her carry the burden with ease. If she got to stay with Ruby, the weight of the world would feel a great deal lighter.

* * *

The day's matches concluded as predicted, with only one slight deviation. The heiress Weiss Schnee had taken a devastating hit during the doubles round, and Team RWBY would be sending Yang Xiao Long to the final bracket as their representative. Cinder would've preferred they sent the Schnee ahead so Cinder could pit her against her countrymen from Atlas and further strain relations between the two kingdoms, but that was a minor loss. The question now was whom she'd have Mercury fight against… Pyrrha Nikos or Yang Xiao Long.

The invincible girl… Ozpin had just sent a request for her to meet him in his office. As predicted, he was moving ahead with her as another candidate for the Aura transfer. The wise course of action would be to have Mercury incapacitate her in the finals round, drawing out the fight long enough to be interrupted by the White Fang's scheduled attack. But Cinder wanted to implicate Ozpin in wrongdoing, and there'd be no better way to do that than by having his prize student commit a terrible crime in front of the world.

But then, a very different option presented itself, as her incessant digging through the data on Ironwood's Scroll finally yielded her something she could use. Cinder gave a soft "Oh!" of comprehension as she went over the schematics she'd pulled up.

"What?" Emerald inquired from the floor. Mercury interrupted his session of push-ups to glance Cinder's way.

"Oh, nothing," Cinder coyly replied. "We're just going to be making a slight… _alteration_ to the plan."

Her subordinates exchanged confused looks. Mercury was brave enough to ask: "What does that mean?"

"It means that this will be even easier than we thought…" Cinder answered, smiling confidently at them. Once they'd turned their heads and returned to their own devices, however, Cinder's smile vanished.

She finally understood what made this girl special. And now it was crucial that Cinder not only remove this piece from the board, but that she _destroy_ it and ensure it couldn't be brought into play. This girl –this machine Penny Polendina… she was made from the same tech as Ozpin's chamber, and she would serve a similar purpose of housing a portion of Amber's –of _the Fall Maiden's_ \- soul. She was the key component. She was the reason Ozpin was bringing in multiple aspirants for this task.

Ozpin wasn't going to create some half-formed thing, or place upon his students the same burden Cinder suffered under, with half a soul bound to her. He was going to incarnate the essence of the Fall Maiden in multiple vessels, both to ease the strain of the transition, _and_ to spread the power around and prevent Cinder from gaining the entirety of that power by ensuring it existed in multiple places at once.

Ozpin may have been a fool who squandered the power at his disposal, but clearly his clever mind had devised a way to keep that same power _out_ of Cinder's hands. Worse still, if Atlas had this technology, they could very well expand upon it.

Cinder had to stop them. Or Ironwood could very well have an a _rmy_ of Maidens.

* * *

"You know, he's making you look like a fool," Qrow noted, almost immediately after he stepped out of the elevator.

"His heart is in the right place," Ozpin gently offered. "He's just… misguided."

"Sometimes I'm not even sure he has a heart," Qrow remarked, before taking another long draught of the creature. "So, have you chosen your guardian yet?"

"Maidens choose themselves," Ozpin replied. "I simply believe I've chosen the right candidate. Ever since I met her, I had a feeling she would be the one. She's strong, intelligent, caring, but most importantly… _she's ready_."

"But she won't be _one_ , will she?" Qrow inquired.

"That remains to be seen," Ozpin answered. "This process is still dependent on Miss Polendina. Without her, we will have no choice but to complete the transfer with a single volunteer."

"And what about the girl on Ruby's team?" Qrow wondered. "She hasn't even had a chance to look behind the curtain yet."

"Ideally, we'd have taken that step already," Ozpin agreed. "But I've decided to placate James by waiting until we can all meet simultaneously. Miss Nikos' schedule is simply in alignment with ours' at the moment."

"You having second thoughts?" Qrow asked.

"Second, and third, and so on," Ozpin confirmed. "Our plan is without precedent. No matter how talented these young women may be, we are still asking them to enter uncharted territory, and trust us to guide them, even when we undertake far less risk. And even if we _can_ ease the stress of the process, there's still no way to accurately predict how they'll be affected by housing even a portion of Amber's Aura within them."

Ozpin heard the elevator chime. He saw Pyrrha step inside, the pointedly lowered his voice to address Qrow: "We cannot afford to doubt. And we can only wait so long." Ozpin waved her over to sit down, as Qrow stepped past, a somewhat confused Pyrrha casting a curious glance at him before accepting Ozpin's invitation and taking a seat before his desk. After a brief exchange of formalities and small talk, attention shifted to the tournament standings, and Ozpin slowly moved towards his real objective. "Well, it comes as no surprise that they've chosen you to move on to the final round of the tournament. Your performance has been exemplary."

Pyrrha had outpaced Coco Adel and Blake Belladonna, and the former was no longer being considered after her elimination. Pyrrha was the only one Ozpin and his team of coconspirators had unanimously agreed upon, and she was a heavy favorite to win the tournament outright. Still, she was humble in receiving praise, and dismissive of her contributions: "Thank you, Professor Ozpin, but I would never have made it this far without my teammates."

"Personally, I think it's the other way around," Qrow chimed in.

Pyrrha cast a glance back at him, and seemed concerned enough by his presence to rise from her seat and address him… or perhaps she was simply trying to avoid being rude by not looking him in the eye when she remarked: "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've been introduced.

"Name's Qrow," was the simple response from the drunken teacher, who apparently didn't feel inclined to return any of Pyrrha's courtesies.

"Qrow is a… _trusted colleague_ of mine," Ozpin assured Pyrrha.

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking…" Pyrrha began, "…why have you called me here?"

"Please, take a seat," Ozpin requested. Pyrrha focued her attention on the headmaster and did as instructed, looking pointedly ahead, awaiting some explanation.

The explanation would be more difficult than she expected. Pyrrha doubtlessly had theories as to why she'd been summoned, but none could possibly be as fantastic as the truth.

Ozpin tented his fingers. "What is your favorite fairy tale?"

* * *

Cinder looked over the eight finalists, two representing each of the four kingdoms. Had Adam been willing to wait, she might've considered holding her cards until the end of the quarterfinal round. If Adam kept his schedule –and given how motivated he seemed to be, that was likely- Cinder would have time for only two battles, allowing for the delay the first one would leave in its wake.

Killing poor Penny might not be enough, even broadcast live to the world. If Cinder wanted to undermine Ozpin, she'd need more than an isolated incident. She'd need a recognizable and consistent pattern of behavior, one that would rob onlookers of any hope or optimism and dull them to the attack to come.

Two Beacon students remained: Pyrrha Nikos and Yang Xiao Long. Cinder needed both of them to compete, but since the randomization process –even under her control- prevented them from being matched against each other unless both made it to the grand final, she had to risk using one of them as poor Penny's executioner.

The smartest move would be to simply have Mercury deal with Penny, but that would merely delay Ozpin and Atlas. And to create the chaos she had in mind, she needed weight. And she needed her lieutenants on hand.

Cinder sent a message through her Scroll. _Mercury, the first round is yours'. You're matched up with Yang Xiao Long._

The girl had a temper, as Cinder recalled. She was confident Mercury and Emerald could provoke her to lash out, if they stuck to the plan.

That left Pyrrha Nikos to battle Penny Polendina. The girl with the power to rend metal would face off against the girl _made_ of metal. The result would be… devastating.

Still, it was a risk. Pyrrha Nikos was a caring soul, and she might try to stay her hand, even in dire straits. So Cinder would have to aid her along and ensure she destroyed the poor little robot girl, and ruined any positive reputation she had, so _all_ of Ozpin's candidates would be monsters in the eyes of the world.

* * *

Ren was watching the first round of the quarterfinals, deliberately seated beside Nora and as far away as possible from Blake. Just knowing she was nearby made it hard for him to concentrate on anything else, but he sincerely wished to show his support for Yang, even if all he would do was sit and watch in the stands with the rest of his friends. He tried to think on the match, of how Yang would perform against someone as skilled as Mercury, and whether she would advance further.

His eyes kept shifting towards Blake. Fortunately, Nora noticed before the others did, and leaned forward in her seat, obscuring Blake from Ren's view and –more importantly- preventing Blake or her teammates from seeing Ren stare. He quickly shifted his gaze, looking back down at the arena, knowing he was going to distract Nora now, and force her to keep an eye on him.

It was over. Why couldn't he just accept it was over? These actions of his were the acts of a desperate, obsessive man, and would not endear him to her. Even Nora undoubtedly found this behavior repugnant, merely covering for him out of her sense of friendship and loyalty.

Ren tried to watch the fight instead, and fortunately, it made for compelling viewing and managed to draw his attention. Mercury and Yang squared off and engaged in battle. Yang was fierce and held her own, but watching the movement, it was clear to Ren that she was outmatched and Mercury was outperforming her. She couldn't hope to keep pace with him, and landed only two significant hits. He found his groove and danced around Yang, before delivering an offensive flurry of shots from the weapons strapped to his legs, drowning Yang in projectiles, dropping her to a mere 16% of her total Aura.

16%... why hadn't he finished her? Had he miscalculated the correct amount of the volley? Was he unable to see the statistical readout posted above his head?

Yang punished his mistake, activating her Semblance and charging in. Even with only a flicker of life left, Yang unleashed a vicious pummeling to the clearly surprised Mercury, rapidly depleting his Aura and eventually flooring him to the sound of a buzzer.

An impressive and unexpected victory for Yang. How odd it was that Mercury made such an error, but perhaps it was an understandable one. He'd only narrowly missed defeating her…

"Way to go, Yang!" Ren heard Blake remark. He glanced her way to see her stand up and offer a gentle clap, and saw the smallest little smile… none of her smiles were very large, but that one… it consumed his thoughts every time he saw it.

Nora abruptly filled his field of vision, looking quite stern. Ren sighed and averted his gaze again, trying to regain his focus, trying to look down at the arena and the match, as Yang waved to them, still shining from victory…

…and Mercury… when had he risen to his knee? Had his position changed somehow? Or had Ren simply forgotten where he was in the four seconds he'd spent being utterly consumed thinking about Blake?

He shook his head and watched Yang step past her defeated foe… only to suddenly whip back around and fire a shotgun pellet into his leg at point blank range. She attacked a defeated and vulnerable foe… and shattered his leg.

The audience had been cheering before. Now they were gasping in astonishment. They fell so quiet one could easily hear the sound of Atlesian knights being deployed by the security team, dropping into the arena, surrounding Yang and ordering her to stand down. She had attacked a defenseless enemy, and security was responding appropriately… but why? Why had Yang felt _any_ need to attack him?

Her Semblance responded to her emotional state, not unlike Ren's own gift. Perhaps she could not simply _turn_ _off_ that anger. Perhaps she hadn't wanted to.

Nora was staring down at the scene unfolding, too in shock to try and deter Ren from looking past her. But he did, and he saw Blake, looking down at her partner with a look he knew all too well: a fear of something she'd seen before.

He looked away before she could've noticed him. He didn't want to offer her another reminder.

* * *

Cinder knew the verdict would be rendered before Ironwood even made the announcement. He still had to inform Xiao Long before he could deliver his edict, but she would be disqualified, and in the eyes of the world, rightly so.

Discontent was growing, but this act wasn't without precedent. Students had been disqualified before. People could rationalize Xiao Long's actions and –abhorrent though they may have found them- they could stomach the result and continue watching the tournament.

The onlookers were already celebrating horrific acts of violence. Really, they were practically inviting the Grimm just by trying to keep faith with an antiquated tradition. The Vytal Festival Tournament may have been intended as a celebration of excellence, but it was still a contest between four disparate kingdoms with their own agendas. And the millions watching around the world all wanted their kingdom to emerge victorious, while they enjoyed a little competition on the way.

So far, so good. They excused the first act of aggression, as Cinder anticipated.

The second, well… the second would be an act _without_ precedent. The second would shatter any sense of unity or cooperation, save, perhaps, for a hatred of both Vale and Atlas, even by their own countrymen.

The schedule would be tight, but no doubt Ironwood was in a hurry to move things along. In his haste to restore order, Ironwood would bring to the masses despair like they'd not seen since the Great War.

Emerald needed to move into position for the final act. And Pyrrha…

Ozpin had taken her to the vault. Ironwood had accompanied them. Both had used kept their Scrolls on their person and Ozpin had used his access code to unlock the hidden chamber.

An access code that was now in Cinder's hand. Now she merely needed Ozpin to visit again, and her way to the Fall Maiden would be clear. Either he remained down long enough for Cinder to follow him underground with his own code, or he attempted to complete the process without Penny Polendina and her tech. The former would be preferable, but if the latter occurred, when either Blake Belladonna or Pyrrha Nikos emerged, the panicked and suffering onlookers would not see a hero emerging to protect them. They'd see danger, and fear it, and flee from it, and reject it.

Either way, Cinder would be there to reap the rewards.

* * *

Ironwood had disqualified her. Yang had tried to explain –again and again- how she'd seen Mercury attempt to attack her after the match and she'd instinctively responded in self-defense. Ironwood trusted what had been recorded by the cameras, and only indulged Yang for so long. He may have attempted to offer some sympathy, but he'd still sided with the majority and condemned Yang for an action she hadn't committed.

Once alone with just her teammates, Yang tentatively asked: "You guys believe me… right?"

Ruby, of course, never doubted her big sister. Weiss rationalized that Yang may have let her temper get the better of her, but would not have been so cruel. And Blake…

Blake would not meet her eye. She was silent for several uncomfortable moments. "I _want_ to believe you."

Weiss and Ruby were astonished. Yang's eyes started to well with tears, as she was clearly struck by Blake's non-response. "Blake…?"

She'd seen this before. In Adam and in…

In Adam.

"How could you say something like that?" Weiss snapped. "Yang would never lie to us!"

Blake didn't think Yang was lying. She thought Yang saw what she saw, but now wouldn't accept responsibility for her action. She'd justify the change and dismiss it, just as Adam had, oblivious to how violent and destructive she'd become. Blake wouldn't enable that. Not again.

Blake sighed. "I had someone very dear to me change. It wasn't in an instant, it was gradual… little choices that began to pile up. He told me not to worry. At first they were accidents, then it was self-defense… before long, even I began to think he was right. This is all just very… _familiar_."

Seeing the tears in Yang's eyes, Blake hastily added: "But you're not him. And you've never done anything like this before. So… I _want_ to trust you. I _will_ trust you. But first, I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me that _he_ attacked _you_. I need you to promise me that you regret having to do what you did."

Blake had seen enough people change before. She didn't want to lose the Yang she had.

Like she lost Adam.

Like she lost-

Like she lost before.

"I saw him attack me," Yang firmly replied, brushing away her tears. "So I attacked back."

Blake had never had reason to doubt Yang's sincerity. And meeting her eye, Blake got the confirmation she needed.

She was overreacting. She thought she was seeing something she'd seen before, and the ghosts had obscured what was before her. Adam never shed a tear. Nor had… nor had she. Blake cast Yang a small smile. "Okay. Thank you."

It wasn't clear what had happened to Yang. But Blake believed she hadn't given herself over to any violent impulse. Blake trusted in her friend and was so relieved she hadn't changed from the Yang they all knew and loved.

Change was unavoidable. Blake knew better than most, given what she'd agreed to undertake. She knew things would be different going forward, but she'd also been wanting her friends to remain steady and ground her.

Because the last time someone dear to her changed… and changed for the worse… Blake had started to like it.

Yang rolled over in Weiss's bunk, opting to get some rest. Her teammates stepped out into the hall, and they were quickly greeted by Jaune poking his head out of JNPR's dorm room. "She doing okay?"

Blake saw him in the room, standing behind Nora. She didn't want to give him any thought, but it'd have been impolite to suddenly run off. Blake would settle for standing furthest from the door frame and averting her gaze. "She's… doing the best she can."

Ruby continued the conversation from there, but Blake was tuning most of it out. Something about Mercury, something about questioning…

"If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to ask," Blake heard him say, from somewhere behind Jaune and Nora. Blake was looking at the ground, so she had no idea if he was addressing her. He was probably being genuine in offering whatever assistance he could. He still believed in doing the right thing. Despite the existence of his other side, the one on the surface now was still showing kindness.

So why couldn't Blake meet his eye? Was she just never going to look at him again?

Fortunately, Ruby was there to deflect on her behalf. "Alright then, if that's the case… Pyrrha? You be sure to win one for Beacon, okay?"

"It's what Yang would want," Weiss agreed.

"I'll do my best," was Pyrrha's cheerful reply.

* * *

Ren had done his best to help Pyrrha prepare, in case she was selected. He made her a health drink (albeit one Nora insisted wasn't very healthy) and then pointedly got out of her way and gave her time to herself. He spent the day at the fairgrounds with Nora, who seemed quite intent both on keeping Ren in her sights and pointedly returning even after they'd won many stuffed animals. Even after they'd intended to return to the dorms and regroup with their teammates and split a large bucket of popcorn.

He'd tried not to let it bother him, but Ruby's reaction had been telling. She'd heard his response, his offer of help, and had blown him off. His teammates hadn't made anything of it at the time, but it was increasingly clear there was a divide between himself and Team RWBY, and a divide that did not separate the rest of his teammates from them. Ren was sure Ruby hadn't acted out of malice, just a protective instinct towards Blake, but it had still said something about Ren that Ruby Rose wasn't making an effort to be his friend.

His presence had been a burden for a while now. Jaune and Pyrrha were still in the dark about himself and Blake, but they surely noticed something was off between the teams now. Nora could only cover for him for so long, and it wasn't fair she had to do so.

Why couldn't he just move on? Why couldn't the past just stay in the past and not keep returning to his thoughts at the most inopportune times?

And even in spite of that, there was no need for this to continue. They were still friends.

Weren't they?

* * *

Ozpin was in his office when the second round started. He poured himself a cup of coffee and waited to see which schools would be matched up, and hoped a good, competitive, less controversial match might put people's minds at ease.

His eyes widened when he saw Penny Polendina matched up against Pyrrha Nikos.

The process was random, so this had always been possible… but Ozpin was stunned Ironwood hadn't done something to prevent this, or even circumvented his own system. They'd all agreed to commit both girls to the process. Pyrrha's Semblance could seriously damage Penny. Or even kill her.

Ozpin watched intently, hoping that there'd be nothing more than friendly competition ahead… because his plans had uncertainty enough as it was. If they lost Penny now, there was no way to tell if they'd even be successful in transferring Amber's Aura, much less splitting it into multiple hosts.

He believed in hope. But Ozpin knew better than to rely on it, and right now, hope was all he had to work with.

* * *

The White Fang soldiers riding in his bullhead were watching the second quarterfinal match on their Scrolls. Beacon was totally unaware, they were so consumed with their bloodsport. So too were a few of his soldiers, eagerly watching the Mistral regional champion compete.

Adam had watched only one match, to remind himself what he was fighting for. He hated seeing her wear that bow to hide her ears; he hated seeing her hide herself away and try to pass herself off as something different… something _less_ than she was.

No matter. Soon, she would be his again, and he'd bring her back to her senses. He'd look deep in her amber eyes and see her other side, a side she only showed to him; a side that belonged only to him.

The White Fang had been promised humans to kill, and Adam would give them that. But only one life mattered to him. There was only one thing in all the world he wanted right now, more than victory for the White Fang, more than the destruction of all the high walls the humans had built to cower behind. All he wanted was Blake… all he wanted was to have her back. To have _his life_ back.

He saw the waterfall and the cliff side come into view. He saw the Amity Colosseum floating above the campus grounds, flanked by three Atlas ships. Adam raised his hand and signaled to his soldiers, who put their Scrolls away and steeled themselves.

It had finally come. The moment was at hand, and his love waiting for him, calling out to him from the dark.

This was the day he'd waited for.


	9. Who is the Monster?

**Chapter Nine: Who is the Monster?**

 _The First Semester_

Blake was trying not to let Ren distract her so she could read her book, but he was making that quite difficult with the way he scratched behind her ears, giving her just enough affection to reel her in before abruptly stopping and searching for her reaction. It made it impossible for Blake to get immersed in the material with him constantly pulling her back to reality with his touch, and really, it was her own fault for opting to rest her head in his lap. He was too close at hand, too able to draw her from the narrative, to remind her of where she was and what she had in the here and now.

 _It is a tale of a man, and a monster._

Blake looked up at Ren, reading a Grimm studies textbook, glancing down at her out of the corner of his eye. She quickly retreated and tried to continue reading, even though she knew Ren had caught her. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction… or at least not give up without a fight.

Blake tried to focus on her reading, mouthing the words, reading aloud as she might've when she was much younger and still learning her technique. _What must I do?_

 _Care for the child and raise him as your own._

Ren started scratching her ears again. Blake tried to ignore the pleasant feeling, trying to capture the scene, of a zealous man trying to come to grips with being forced to adopt a misshapen infant he'd tried to do away with before he'd been stopped by another, more righteous man.

Ren's fingers were sliding between strands of hair now. He was pulling her in, pulling her away from the world on the page, and back to the world for just the two of them.

 _...gave the child a cruel name, a name which means "half-formed"…_

Ren had successfully distracted her. She'd jumped out of the flashback and back to the story's present setting, narrated by a street performer recounting the details of a bell ringer, brought up by a cruel man who fancied himself morally just, and of love not meant to be, because Ren was getting bolder and letting his fingers wander and…

Wait, that wasn't in the book.

 _Now here is a riddle, to guess if you can._

Blake finally looked up and held his gaze. "I'll never finish if you keep doing that."

"Then I guess we'll have to practice so you can get better," Ren coyly suggested.

Blake loved to read. A story about a tragic figure, one forced to give up his pursuit of the woman he loved and rebelling against the machinations of his father figure and ultimately choosing to be a better man than the world should've allowed him to be… it would've been a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

But then, she didn't really need a tale of romance to captivate her, not when the story was already unfolding with Ren's fingers behind her ears. Blake may have enjoyed a good tragedy, but right now she'd prefer a story with a happier ending.

It was no use now. He'd pulled her back, and now she wanted to stay. Blake caught him off guard by tossing her book aside, tackling him into the sofa and opting to play a little game of her own.

She paid no heed to the last words recounted by the performer, because she knew how the story would go. Now Blake was quite keen to see just how far along she could lead Ren in telling a very different sort of tale. She was quite keen to see the side of him that would otherwise be bottled up, the part of himself only for Blake to know.

They were conspicuous words, even if they meant nothing to her at the time. How could she know what meaning they held when Ren was so much more vivid than a line of text in a dusty old tome?

 _Who is the monster, and who is the man?_

* * *

 _Tonight_

Ren found it difficult to be enthusiastic, given the day he'd had, but wanted to be supportive for his teammate as Pyrrha stepped into the arena. Though he couldn't ever hope to match Nora's cheers, Ren tried his best to emulate them, even raising his arm to wave. To Ren's surprise, Jaune watched the match intensely rather than call out to his partner. Sun Wukong was seated nearby, but Ren did his best not to glance the Faunus boy's way, not to pay him any heed. Ren couldn't justify being angry at him just because Blake preferred to spend her time with Sun.

There he was thinking of Blake again…

Oobleck signaled the start of combat from the commentator's booth. Pyrrha's opponent, Penny Polendina, began performing an elegant and graceful dance, swinging out a flurry of swords from her backpack. Pyrrha rushed into the fray, dodging and deflecting the weaponry with grace of her own.

It was a magnificent battle, one that easily drew Ren in and put romantic entanglements far from his mind. Instead he cheered for his teammate, even if his efforts were droned out by Nora's loud cry of: "WHOO, YEAH! GO PYRRHA!"

Unfortunately, Nora's cheers could only do so much to affect the outcome. When Penny attacked with a strong dash and quickly followed up to disarm Pyrrha of her weapons, the end seemed near for their teammate. She was left unarmed, and Penny was taking her time in preparing to strike with her swords, assuming a combat stance and summoning them from her backpack.

And then they watched as Pyrrha reached out with her Semblance… and cut Penny Polendina to pieces with her own weapons.

* * *

Were the horrific brutality not enough, their eyes were not met by a torrent of blood, but wires and metal as the girl from Atlas… turned out to be quite different than they expected, though her death was no less frightening to behold.

Atlas had sent a robot into the tournament, one so convincing it passed for a human. Beacon had sent Pyrrha, whose Semblance was so powerful it terrified the onlookers. And then, somehow, things got worse, when the broadcast from the commentary desk was abruptly hijacked by a new feed…

Cinder had been waiting for confirmation that Ironwood's science project had been dealt with. Once she was certain that obstacle had been removed and Atlas's hand exposed, she finally allowed herself to move forward with the plan.

The timing was narrow, but the task had been completed within the window available. The Grimm were responding to the negative emotions coming from the colosseum and moved to the kingdom borders. Adam's ships emerged over the lake, moving to deploy at the landing platforms beside Beacon.

"This is _not_ a tragedy," Cinder addressed the world, speaking through her Scroll and letting her message carry on the broadcast of the Vytal Festival. "This was _not_ an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust. Your safety. Your children."

The Grimm at the border grew in number as more emerged from the night, drawn to a feast that only grew larger and larger. Cinder continued to pour fuel on the fire. "To men who claim to be our guardians… but are, in reality, nothing more than men."

It really was all their own doing. Their hubris had cost them, and they'd been so blind they hadn't seen this coming. They'd known they'd been compromised, they'd known the enemy was inside their keep, and still they went ahead with their festival, still they drew the net all the wider. Fools like that didn't deserve to survive, when they couldn't learn the most basic of lessons.

But still, they had their use, and Cinder would move on it in time. She just needed Ozpin to make a choice between the two options he had left.

It would almost certainly be Blake Belladonna, if only for proximity. Pyrrha Nikos wouldn't just have to overcome the personal trauma of murder, she'd also have to make a long trip to the ground. And with Adam making a beeline for Blake, Ozpin would have to invest considerable effort to bring her to his vault.

Still he'd try, no matter how imperfect the process, no matter how long the odds. Still Ozpin dared to hope, and Cinder was all too eager to dash those hopes yet again.

* * *

When Adam's team landed, they were accompanied by two additional Bullheads carrying special cargo: several larger, older Ursa specimens to drop right in the courtyard and quickly spread panic through the population.

Standing in the passenger bay and watching his forces deploy alongside Grimm, Adam issued a simple order: "Bring them to their knees."

He dropped down, stepping foot on Beacon's soil and leading his soldiers from the front. It was crucial he demonstrate that bravery and take the first step, so that the White Fang's history would remember him as the first rushing into battle.

Adam expected he'd kill a few humans on the way, but they were inconsequential. He knew who he was searching for. He knew what he'd come for. Only one life mattered to him.

And he fully intended to bring her to her knees.

* * *

A Giant Nevermore slammed into the shielded surface above the colosseum, trying to force its way in.

"A Nevermore?" Sun inquired. Ren suppressed the urge to comment on this remark.

"How'd it get past the kingdom's defenses?" Coco Adel asked from Sun's left.

Ren narrowed his eyes as he glanced between the Nevermore and the still-hijacked broadcast. "It wasn't alone."

He glanced over at his friends, then down at Pyrrha still standing before the dismembered Penny. Jaune had already left his seat, rushing to his partner's side. Ren turned to Sun and Coco, trying not to think about any of the previous instances he might've seen Sun and Blake together and focusing on the matter at hand.

They were under attack from multiple fronts. He couldn't afford to be jealous. "Our friends need us," was all Ren said to them.

He could no longer afford to be unfocused. People he cared about were in great danger, and he would not let his thoughts focus anywhere but on the most expedient ways to help them.

* * *

Ironwood pulled out his Scroll to contact Ozpin, but hesitated for a moment as he glanced at Port and Oobleck. Neither of them had been in on the secret. He had to choose his words carefully.

"Ozpin… the girl, I-I can explain," Ironwood stuttered, the two teachers splitting their gaze between the general and the giant avian Grimm still trying to force its way in.

Ozpin was curt in his reply. "You brought your army to my kingdom, James. Use it."

On the other end of the line, Ozpin glanced out from Beacon tower as Nevermores emerged from the mists over the lake and went after the Atlas ships. He watched White Fang soldiers unload from Bullheads at the landing platform and push into his school. He received dozens of reports on his computer about Grimm attacking the Vale defense systems and overwhelming Atlas military garrisons. They'd been caught unprepared, and completely outmaneuvered, to the point only one course of action remained.

Ozpin couldn't help but think that was what she'd intended, to force him to use the relic… to make him expose his hand while the eyes of the world were on his kingdom.

Ozpin couldn't do that again. He couldn't let them know the truth, or the lives he could save today would be a pittance compared to those lost seeking –and then making war over- a relic. He had to find one of the candidates. He had to find a guardian. He had to try and salvage whatever he could, and as much as he could.

Pyrrha Nikos had a powerful Semblance; a much more useful one given the circumstances. It'd take longer for her to reach the vault, giving the enemy time to inflict considerably more damage… but with her powers and the powers of a Maiden, it might be enough to turn the tide.

* * *

Blake and Weiss had been out to eat when the tournament feed was hijacked. When they emerged onto the fairground, the Grimm had already arrived in force, tearing through the stands and easily smashing through the lines of Atlesian knights trying to fend them off. After confirming Yang was still okay back in the dorms, Yang dropped a bombshell on her partner.

"White Fang are releasing Grimm into the school!" Yang explained over the Scroll.

"The White Fang is _here_?!" Blake gasped, her eyes widening. Then the sounds of scuffle cut her off. Blake frantically tried to follow up with Yang. "Yang?"

Eventually, her partner replied: "Got to go! Be careful!"

Blake was relieved Yang was okay. Weiss glanced over at her and inquired: "Blake, what are we going to do?"

Blake wasn't sure where to proceed. Yang had suggested they regroup at the docks, but Ruby was still missing and out on her own, and a lot of otherwise defenseless citizens were caught surrounded by Grimm, Grimm being actively released by her old cohorts in the White Fang.

It was only a short time ago the Grimm had breached Vale after the White Fang launched an operation to lead them in. Now they weren't even trying to disguise their role in the attack. They'd become increasingly brazen… and Blake suspected she knew who'd be willing to abandon subtlety like this. She knew who'd become monstrous enough to consort with monsters.

And Ozpin… and his plan… she could go and find him and finally go underground to meet the Fall Maiden and see if she had enough power to save them.

But that would take time, and time was the one thing she lacked now, with her friends in danger. She summoned her weapons locker from her Scroll. "We're going to the docks, and we're doing our job."

There were people in need, and she didn't need any magical gifts to help. Blake could fight the darkness away, and the task would be all the easier with her friends at her side.

* * *

Pyrrha was in a near catatonic state after her battle with Penny. Ren was on his way down to the arena, trailing far behind Jaune as he tried to reach his partner. Neither of them reached her in time, as the giant Nevermore finally broke through the barrier and landed inside the colosseum. Fortunately, Ruby was able to join the fray and draw the Grimm's attention, fighting it with Penny's discarded sword.

And then every student in the arena followed her example, summoning their weapons lockers to bombard the Nevermore, pinning it to the floor with the combined weight of their armaments. When the avian monstrosity tried to right itself, Ren reacted, using Storm Flower to cut the bird. Nora followed up with a shot from her hammer, and the beast was finally felled by a combined attack from Yatsuhashi Datchi and Sage Ayana, using their heavy swords to sever the Nevermore's head from its neck.

Pyrrha was still despondent, even though Ruby tried to assure her she hadn't been to blame for the tragedy of Penny's death. Pyrrha only managed to recover when Jaune reached her, firmly pinning the blame on the woman who'd hijacked the tournament broadcast. He returned her weapons to her, and managed to persuade her to keep fighting, if only to prevent anyone else from being hurt.

Port and Oobleck dropped down from the commentator's booth into the arena, preparing to engage more Grimm as they flew in through the entrance the Nevermore had created. Ren ran alongside his team and the various Beacon, Haven, Shade, and Atlas students, heading to the landing platforms and the Bullheads that could take them back to the school grounds.

Unfortunately, those same platforms were under siege, as invading Bullheads dropped off Grimm, terrorizing the citizens attempting to evacuate, overwhelming what few Atlesian knights had been deployed as security. General Ironwood personally intervened, fending off Ursa and Beowolves with his own pistol. The general encouraged the students to remain and help defend the kingdom, but also assured them they would not be judged if they chose to flee and save themselves.

Jaune, of course said: "We can take a ship to Beacon." Ren was quick to follow his leader's suggestion, and only regretted he had to follow Sun Wukong into the dropship. His thoughts were clear: get to the ground, fight off the invasion, keep his friends safe.

Ruby abruptly jumped out the back of the ship, but Ren didn't let that bother him. He figured she had her reasons, and trusted she could take care of herself.

And perhaps, somewhere in the back of his mind, Ren could acknowledge she wasn't the member of Team RWBY whose safety he was determined to ensure.

* * *

Blake had lost any reluctance to fight her former comrades, especially when they continued to attack innocent people just trying to find shelter in the ruins of the Beacon courtyard. Weiss beckoned her to follow, only for both of them to be distracted by the arrival of an Alpha Beowolf. A threat of that magnitude would draw their attention away from all the other people in need, but could be dispatched by one of them if given her full attention.

"Be safe," Weiss encouraged her, before breaking away from her teammate to help a group of overwhelmed Atlas soldiers. Blake went to pursue the Alpha on its way to the cafeteria, but wasn't able to follow it when it started scaling the building.

Unfortunately, her attention found its way inside, as a different sort of monster was unleashing its fury, tossing aside the corpse of a defeated soldier, before turning his attention to Blake. He wore the mask of a Grimm, but the real monster was the man behind the gray steel visor.

"No," Blake whispered. "…Adam?"

"Hello, my darling," Adam greeted with a sinister smile.

"Why are you doing this?" Blake demanded.

"You and I were going to change the world, remember?" Adam mocked, before turning deadly serious in his invective. "We were destined to light the fires of revolution!" He took a step, pinning a helpless Vale citizen beneath his heel. "Consider _this_ … the spark."

He reached to draw his sword. Blake looked on, horrified, knowing that somewhere… the man she had fallen in love with, the man she'd believed in… really _had_ fallen so far as to do something so terrible.

He may have called himself Adam, but he wasn't a man anymore. He was just a savage beast, without the morality to aspire to be anything else. When Blake first saw that monster emerge, she mistook his brutality for passion, and welcomed it. When that monster took over his face completely, Blake ran from it, and tried to forget it.

Not again. Not now.

Blake intervened, clashing Gambol Shroud against Adam's sword Wilt. He may have been stronger than she was, but she held the line, even as sparks fell off her blade. "I'm _not_ running."

"You _will_ ," Adam promised, before kicking Blake to the ground, easily overpowering her. While she was prone on the ground, a Creep attempted to attack her, only for Adam to blast it away with his rifle, Blush. He had no intention of allowing her a quick end. "But _not_ before you've suffered for your betrayal, _my love_."

* * *

Team JNPR acquitted themselves well during the fight in the courtyard. Pyrrha, however, was distracted by the sight of Professor Ozpin standing at the base of Beacon tower, looking out at her. She broke ranks from Team JNPR, walking towards the headmaster and away from the Grimm and White Fang littering the school grounds.

"Where is she going?" Nora asked Jaune.

"I-I'll go find out," Jaune assured his teammates. "You two stay here and keep fighting."

And fight they did, against Grimm, White Fang, and then Atlas robots, who were apparently hacked by the villains and switched sides. Working in collaboration with the other Beacon students and the participants of the Vytal Festival, Ren and Nora acquitted themselves well, clearing the courtyard of their enemies. Thanks in particular to the efforts of Weiss and Velvet, they held their line.

It was encouraging to Ren he'd been able to stay focused at the most crucial time. He even managed to ignore Sun making a bunch of little quips, and successfully fought alongside him, no matter how annoying he had been.

But when Yang ran over to greet Weiss, Ren couldn't help but overhear them talking…

"Weiss! You're okay! Have you heard from Ruby?" Yang rapidly inquired. Weiss was so exhausted from her battle against an Atlas mech she could only manage to shake her head, before Yang changed topics. "What about Blake?"

Ren suddenly became very invested in the conversation now. "She went after an Alpha," Weiss explained, pointing towards the ruins of the cafeteria. "And some members of the White Fang."

"You look for Ruby," Yang instructed. "I'll meet up with Blake." Weiss gave her teammate a thumbs up as Yang charged off.

Ren tried not to think on it. He was already exhausted, and his own teammates were still missing in action after Pyrrha's abrupt exit and Jaune following after her. Team RWBY could look after its own, and Yang seemed relatively fresh. She'd be every bit as protective of Blake as Ren would be, and probably more effective at offering assistance.

Sun seemed to reach the same conclusion, because he hadn't moved to follow Yang. No doubt he was confident she could handle things on her own, or at least working in tandem with her partner. Ren should've expressed the same confidence.

But he didn't, and Nora recognized it. "Don't."

Ren should've listened to her. He was exhausted, and his teammates might've needed him. He couldn't abandon his comrades in their time of need, he had to either wait for them to return from the tower or assist in the evacuation. That was his duty, even if he'd yet to become a graduated huntsman.

But it wasn't what he wanted. He'd been able to bury the thought before, but now it was at the forefront of his mind. It didn't even matter if Blake was in danger or not- he _wanted to save her_. No matter the consequences, no matter the result.

It wasn't fair to keep asking so much of Nora, but he would. "Then come with me, Nora."

He knew she didn't want to. He knew she was doing her duty, putting aside her own concerns, and he was being selfish. But she wouldn't leave his side, even when she disagreed…

"No," was Nora's firm reply.

Ren looked back at her, as she pulled him away from the crowd of students, as discreetly as she could, so they wouldn't be overheard. "I won't let you do this," she softly told him. "If you're not going to wait for Jaune and Pyrrha, fine, but I won't let it be because you want to go help her. Blake can take care of herself. You think I want to just let Yang go on her own? Or wait here while Ruby's still missing? They're my friends, and I'm worried about them, but I'm not going to chase after them when my _team_ still needs me. If you're not going to follow Jaune's orders, then _at least_ do something good with your time… help the people get to the docks so they can evacuate or rest and patch yourself up."

It was hard to refute her logic, and normally Ren would be open to her appeal. But Jaune and Pyrrha weren't in his thoughts, even though they should've been. His eye kept glancing back towards the cafeteria, where there certainly seemed to be a scuffle going on.

Nora took hold of his wrist, grasping him firmly. She tried to turn his head and make him face her, but still his eye kept moving towards Blake and whatever plight she was experiencing. Nora eventually stopped trying, releasing him and looking at the ground. "Fine. Go."

"Nora-" Ren began, but she raised a hand to silence him. She didn't want to hear him try to justify his actions. She didn't want him to spell it out.

Because in the end, she knew why he wanted to go. She knew the one and only reason he'd abandon his post and rush into danger, and didn't want to hear him say her name.

Ren tried not to let the guilt distract him. He rushed towards the cafeteria, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop until he was certain Blake was safe.

* * *

"This could have been our day!" Adam ranted. "Can't you see that?!"

"I never wanted this!" Blake snapped back. "I wanted equality!" She collapsed Gambol Shroud in her hand, transforming it into its semiautomatic pistol form. "I wanted peace!"

She punctuated her statement with two shots, which Adam deflected with Wilt. "What you want is _impossible_!" He reached down and struck her with the back of his hand, knocking Blake to the floor again. "But I understand… because _all_ I want… is _you_ , Blake."

Blake tried to ready her weapon again, only for Adam to kick it from her hand. "And as I set out upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves, I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love."

He wasn't merely violent; he was insane. Blake's departure had clearly affected him, taking his already troubled thoughts and bringing out the very worst of himself.

"Blake!"

The noise drew their attention, and both glanced outside the cafeteria, where Yang Xiao-Long dispatched one of the White Fang soldiers. "Blake, where are you?!"

Blake's eyes widened. Her partner… here… now.

Adam saw the horrified look in Blake's eyes and smiled. He leaned down to whisper: "Starting with her."

Blake reached towards Yang, only to be caught off guard as Adam drove Wilt into her midsection, impaling her with the sword. He hadn't hit anything vital… he hadn't even cut very deep, but he caused her pain enough to cry out; a cry that would carry outside, to Yang's ears.

Yang turned to them, focusing all her rage on the masked man who'd wounded her partner. "Get away from her!"

"No…" Blake whispered from the floor, still trying to reach towards Yang, knowing she was powerless to stop either of them. "Please…"

Adam sheathed his sword, waiting patiently, knowing the accumulated kinetic energy it had absorbed in battle with Blake's blade and bullets, combined with his own Aura charged into it, would allow him to unleash all his power at once. Yang attempted something similar, channeling all her rage to power herself up as she flung towards Adam with her right arm reared back.

Adam unsheathed his blade. He struck first.

Yang spiraled through the air and landed hard on the floor, wisps of Aura still rising from the stump where her right hand had been. The force of the blow and the shock of her injury left her unable to move as Adam prepared to follow up and deliver a swift end.

Blake summoned what strength she could and leapt in his path, glaring up at him as she tried to defend Yang, to protect her in any way she could. She tried to show defiance, glaring up at him, summoning what energy she could.

"Why must you hurt me, Blake?" Adam asked, before preparing his sword again.

Blake took hold of Yang and concentrated, hoping she had enough Aura left to complete the process.

Adam swung. Blake moved backwards, and a shadow clone, a near perfect copy of herself composed of Aura, took the hit in her stead. Blake hoisted Yang up and dragged her outside, running, exactly as Adam had predicted.

She was wounded, and Yang was heavy. She had to get as much distance as she could, she had to get away, she had to flee.

Ozpin had thought she was worthy of becoming a guardian? How could she be? How could she be worthy of that power and responsibility when she was just barely able to save _one_ life? How could Ozpin possibly think she had been the right choice?

When her past came calling, she ran. Maybe because that was all she could do to save Yang's life, but at the moment all Blake could think was how Adam had been right about her.

* * *

Ozpin had chosen to try the process on Pyrrha Nikos alone. That wasn't ideal, because if it was successful, she'd be a much greater challenge. But Cinder had been waiting for him to take this action, looking on from the rooftop of the guest dorm, and she pounced almost as quickly as Ozpin emerged into the open. Once Cinder was certain her presence had gone unnoticed, Cinder used her Scroll to mimic Ozpin's access code, and descended after him.

She was counting on him to hesitate, for sentiment to get the better of him. Even if he'd lost the ability to divide the Fall Maiden's soul further, it was still possible for him to extract the half that remained. Ironwood would've completed the process already. Ozpin… well, he fancied himself a moral man.

"Are you ready?" Ozpin asked, standing beside the terminal.

He was distracted. The only obstacle in Cinder's path was a young huntsman with nothing but a sword and shield. Still, Cinder staid her hand.

"I… I need to hear you _say_ it," Ozpin told Nikos, in the second chamber. For such a noble man, he still carried so much guilt that he needed a teenage girl to wash his hands of it. He must've received the assent, but Cinder couldn't hear it. All she could focus on was the Aura now being drawn from the Fall Maiden's chamber.

The process was agonizing to witness, knowing she was risking so much. Cinder could easily miss the timing, but she was confident the path would be clear, that the weakness of her enemies would be their undoing.

And it was, because when Pyrrha Nikos cried out in pain from the transfer, the young huntsman broke ranks and turned to look upon her, and Cinder drew her bow and unleashed the shot that would finally end the Fall Maiden's suffering.

Her eyes opened briefly, as she gasped in pain. Cinder made sure that, far away though she was, she was the only thing in the Fall Maiden's line of sight. Just as she'd intended before, when Cinder had stolen half her power.

It called to her, the remaining half of her soul… drawing back from Pyrrha Nikos and clawing its way out of the machine, shattering through the glass and returning to its chosen host.

Cinder felt it arrive within her, and felt sated as though she'd just consumed a massive feast. Energy coursed through her body, so much power flowing through her it began to find its way out, as Aura leaked from her eye, and at last she was made whole.

It didn't matter what games Ozpin and Ironwood played, or what noble goals the girls they'd chosen might've tried to attain. All that mattered now was that those plans had been rendered moot.

And Cinder had won.

* * *

Adam made no effort to keep pace, being deliberate with his every step. He knew Blake could hear him with those pretty ears of hers', and had no doubt that making his footsteps slow only made them more terrifying. She was dragging dead weight through dangerous territory, while wounded and unarmed. She must've known there was no escape, no matter how she tried to flee from him.

As though he'd let her go. He wanted her to run, but only so far. He wanted her to enjoy a few fleeting moments of hope before she was overtaken by despair, and at last felt as he had the day she'd left him.

Adam was drawing closer now. The courtyard was mostly empty, and Blake's friends and comrades were far away at the docks. She must've realized she was trapped by now, and Adam would delight in making that fact clear to her.

Until someone stepped into his path, a human clad in green and white, leveling a pair of bladed submachine guns at him. He offered no words, but he'd made his intentions clear.

"Run away, little man," Adam instructed. "Run and maybe you'll survive the night."

"I'm _not_ running," the boy firmly replied, assuming a combat stance.

Adam sneered. "You're right. You're _not_."

Adam dashed forth, unsheathing Wilt. The boy flipped past him, firing with his own weapons, raining down a few bullets along Adam's back. Adam snarled in pain, then whipped back around to continue the pursuit. He had to finish the battle quickly, or this interloper could buy Blake time enough to escape him.

"I won't let you harm her," the boy firmly told him, continuing to dodge Adam's attacks and pepper him with his guns, trying to slowly whittle away Adam's Aura with small hits.

Blake had made some human friends… how quaint. Suddenly Adam had every reason to invest time in killing this boy. It'd be quite fitting when he presented the corpse to Blake, to remind her what her running away had cost.

"Oh, nothing will prevent me from harming her," Adam assured him. "I won't merely wound her, I won't merely kill her… I'll _destroy_ her, until she wishes for death… a mercy I will never grant her."

The boy seemed appalled at his words. "You're a monster."

"Who is the monster?" Adam inquired. "The one who embraces his nature or the one who denies it? I'll bet you've never seen her true face. She's just like me, but she's too weak to admit the truth. She's scared of all that she can be, so she runs away… and she made the mistake of running away from me."

The boy took a moment to pause. The words seemed… _familiar_ to him. At the very least he didn't seem to dismiss Adam as a raving madman. He seemed to _understand_.

This made Adam curious. Why would a human boy believe the word of a Faunus? What did this boy know about Blake that would give him pause, rather than leap to her defense as he had before?

Adam moved close. The boy was caught off guard and unable to retreat, but avoided Adam's Wilt, clashing the blades of his own weapons with Adam's own. While locked together, Adam concentrated, focusing his senses, searching for it…

He was a human. Unlike Blake, he'd have never made an effort to hide it, because other humans wouldn't have noticed. It was faint, but Adam smelled it in his clothing. Blake had known him, and known him well enough to press her body against those clothes.

Adam had detected many other scents on Blake's person, but dismissed the thought, as he'd been consumed by her sight, knowing she was in his grasp. And once more he became consumed, because this boy –this _human boy_ \- had held Blake, and not so long ago.

Rage poured from deep within as Adam allowed it to consume him. He wasn't going to just kill this boy for Blake's sake now: Adam was going to slaughter him to put his own mind at ease, to know someone else Blake had been close to would be gone from the world. He would destroy this rival and rid him from the world.

Ren tried to counter Adam's assault, but he was exhausted and outmatched. Adam landed several glancing blows, eventually tearing through Ren's Aura and cutting him at his midsection, drawing blood and sending the boy tumbling to the ground.

Adam glared down at the boy, seething with so much anger and hate the Grimm were starting to converge on them. _Let them come_ , Adam thought, _let them be witnesses to this boy's death_.

Ren reached up a hand to his chest, feeling his heart race, both from the exertion and to compensate for his own blood loss. He counted the beats, as he looked up at this monster of a man raising his sword over his head.

Ren had called Adam a monster. And he was.

But he wasn't the most monstrous one here.

Ren concentrated, unbinding the locks. Perhaps the beast within him would understand and respond to his wish; he hoped the other side of himself at least understood the importance of self-preservation.

That thought did him no good. So he tried another. _This_ was the man Blake spoke of. This man was the reason she had sent Ren away.

 _He_ was the reason Blake told Ren not to say he loved her.

At last he felt it, as a wave pulsed out from him. The Grimm, drawn to the fight, drawn to the negativity, felt the power emerge from within this boy, who abruptly stood up, indifferent to the wound, indifferent to pain, indifferent to fear.

He _was_ pain. He _was_ fear.

Ren caught Adam's blade at the hilt, managing to stifle all of Adam's strength in his grip. Adam's mask concealed his eyes, but seeing his mouth agape gave Ren the motivation he needed. Ren slashed Adam with his remaining half of Stormflower, cutting him repeatedly about the arms and chest, disrupting his Aura and tearing through his cloak and flesh.

Adam tried to draw back and retreat but Ren refused to release his grip. He leveled Stormflower and unleashed a hailstorm of bullets, squeezing the trigger until he'd emptied the clip into Adam's chest and stomach.

Ren thought of Blake, standing before him in the library, trying to get away from him. He thought of her begging him not to say the words, begging him not to love her. He thought of how this other side of himself had howled out to the empty dark, knowing its counterpart was gone forever.

Ren tossed the weapon aside and kicked Adam to the ground, watching him land in a heap. Ren pounced on him, punching the man repeatedly with his right hand. Adam tried to swing back, but it was a slow, clumsy response… Adam was quickly fading from the blood he'd lost.

The Grimm around them began to draw away, terrified by the power of the monster before them. Adam finally released his grip on his sword and Ren tossed it aside, striking Adam with both hands, moving up to strike at his face, shattering the Grimm mask covering his eyes and bloodying his face further.

Something told him to stop. Something told him not to be like this monster.

Ren didn't listen to it.

He wasn't sure how long he continued the savage beating, but eventually, when Ren moved to raise his fist again, a hand took hold of his wrist. Ren whipped his head around, furious at being interrupted, glaring into the eyes of…

Nora.

Nora was saying something, tears in her eyes as she pleaded with him to stop. His hand was shaking between her fingers, as the monster within him tried to wrench itself free and finish what it had begun.

Ren looked down at Adam, blood still pooling around him. His chest was still rising and falling, so it seemed he was still alive, but only just, and only for so long.

Nora was still speaking to him, still trying to pull him off the man he'd savagely beaten… the man he'd nearly _killed_ by letting the monster loose.

Maybe this man deserved to die for what he'd done to Blake, and perhaps he would. Maybe he deserved to be turned over to the authorities for the crimes of the White Fang, but there was little chance of doing that in the ruins of Beacon, surrounded by Grimm.

And maybe Nora was right that he should stop, before Ren became every bit as monstrous… or worse.

Slowly, Ren lowered his arm and concentrated. The beast within him slowly agreed to return to its cage, if not completely sated it was at the very least… appeased. Ren lifted his bloodied hand from Adam and pressed it to his chest, counting his heartbeats and returning to himself.

He stood up, standing over the bloodied and broken Adam, before finally turning to Nora, his haggard breaths slowly becoming steady and his hands finally stopping their shaking. Nora released his wrist, but turned her head so as not to look at him. "Pyrrha and Jaune are still missing. I came to get you when Blake and Yang made it to the docks."

Blake was safe. The important task had been completed. Ren had saved her from the monster pursuing her.

But now a different sort of monster remained, and Nora couldn't look it in the eye.

Ren felt it all come back to him, the guilt consuming his thoughts. How he'd abandoned Nora, abandoned Jaune and Pyrrha, abandoned those in need… all so he could indulge in savagery, and nearly kill another sentient being because it made him feel better about losing the woman he loved.

Blake was right to fear this side of him. Nora was right to be ashamed of how far her friend had fallen.

Ren tried to compose himself, tried to return to calm, but could not find it. The monster he'd buried, the beast that had been silent as he tried to work through his heartbreak was alive again, and right below the surface. Ren wondered how long until it stopped bothering to be concealed and finally became his true face.

"If everyone's at the docks, we should go there," Ren finally spoke. "We can't help Jaune and Pyrrha in the state we're in now."

Nora merely nodded. She turned from him and headed there, silent and stoic, in a way Ren had not seen since their childhood. When Ren had met her, she'd barely been able to speak, because she'd been surrounded by pain and fear, and he'd been her protector from it. Now she couldn't look him in the eye.

Ren staggered his way after her, leaving Adam to whatever fate awaited him, lying in the ruins of Beacon, his revenge never to be completed. Ren could take some small comfort in that knowledge, and be glad Blake had been spared his wrath.

No matter how it had cost.


	10. Across the Sea

**Chapter Ten: Across the Sea**

You never forget the moment you fell in love.

For Ren, it was when Blake allowed him to remove her bow, when she finally shed away her exterior and allowed her true self to emerge. She'd kissed him before that moment, opened up to him before that moment, done things that endeared her to him before that moment. He may well have been on the path long before then, but it was that moment, when he saw her as she was, that he knew his heart belonged to her.

For Blake, it was a little more complex. She fought at every turn to acknowledge it, trying to convince herself that what she had with Ren was just a fun distraction, a secret that bound them together in a way that may have been intimate but was decidedly _not_ love. Blake had already told one man she loved him, and those words tasted bitter in her mouth when she recalled doing so. But if there was any moment she recalled, it was when she first took Ren's hand in her own, after she finished her book and after brushing fingers with Ren by accident, decided to try taking his hand for real, and holding fast.

Holding hands with someone signified that they were important to you; that you cared about them. It wasn't an admission of love per se… just a sign of affection, and the first act of doing so sealed a bond between two people. Blake cared for her teammates, and on varying levels cared for her friends outside the team like Sun and Team JNPR, but since arriving at Beacon, she'd only held the hand of two others: Ren and Yang.

When she held Yang's hand in the courtyard, Blake had realized how important her partner was to her, how much this other life mattered. She had no idea it'd become a curse. Blake had no idea she'd never hold that hand again.

Now Blake clutched tightly to Yang's left hand as they lay on the ground, waiting for the rest of their friends to return and regroup with them. Yang was the only person she was concentrated on, whispering the same words over and over: "I'm sorry…"

What Adam had taken Blake could never hope to replace. What he had so easily destroyed had taken months to be built up, and now Blake would never know where it all could've led, because the hand she clung to now was not the hand Blake held that day in the courtyard. Because of Adam, what should've been a happy memory would be forever tainted, and the moment that strengthened Blake's bond with her partner now seemed distant... and less real than the bloody stump she had now.

Blake was only faintly aware of Ruby's return. She should've been happy to see her friend was alive, but all she could think of was Yang. All she could think of was what Adam had taken from her- from _both_ of them. Blake clutched to her wound, where Adam had stabbed her… the pain there was nothing compared to what she felt now, looking at Yang, and Blake buried her head in the pavement. "I'm so sorry."

"She's gonna be okay," Sun assured Ruby. "The soldiers have a ship waiting to take you guys to Vale."

"But Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing!" Nora protested from somewhere behind Blake.

"Look guys, that giant Grimm keeps circling the school," Sun pointed skyward. "Even the White Fang are pulling out. We all have to go- now!"

"We're not leaving…" she heard another voice protest, followed by an audible groan. Blake knew the voice. She didn't want to think on the name. She didn't want to think about what wounds he suffered, what might've been inflicted by her old comrades in the White Fang.

Ruby resolved to find them, and Weiss, exhausted though she was, moved to follow her partner back into the fray. She asked Ren, Nora and Sun to look after their teammates, and they were off.

Weiss was right to try and assign a guardian. Yang was still in danger –all her friends were still in danger- because Adam had made his intentions clear and demonstrated his ability to carry out his threats. His scent still lingered, so much it seemed omnipresent. Blake tried to convince herself her senses were out of whack, that she was so wracked by guilt she was no longer able to perceive the world properly.

But she could see all too clearly, the moment when Adam maimed Yang. She could hear his taunts and his proclamations, and feel the pain when he'd stabbed her, promising it was only the beginning of the torture she'd intended.

Slowly, deliberately, Blake rose to her feet. Sun was helping Port and Oobleck to guide citizens to the ships. Nora and Ren were still recovering, but their attention wasn't on her; they were looking back at the tower, waiting for some sign of their teammates' return.

Blake was exhausted, but she still had Aura left in her. She knew what she had to do.

And it was hard, letting go of that hand, even if it hadn't been the one she'd held before. Blake didn't want to leave Yang, but if she remained… if Adam continued to follow through on his promises…

Blake concentrated, slowly stepping up and backing away as she left her Aura prone on the ground. She made certain her steps were silent, and held her breath. Ren and Nora didn't see her depart.

Sun did, glancing back from the line of citizens he shepherded. Their eyes met.

He said nothing. Perhaps he understood, perhaps he didn't. Either way, he let her go, and turned his attention back to the people who couldn't look after themselves.

Ren had missed her departure, but when he cast his eyes back at where she'd lay, he noticed the difference at once. He'd never forgotten the look of her shadow clone, and knew not to be deceived by it after she'd left him mid-conversation. He saw how the eye remained steady and unblinking, how the chest never rose and fell.

Ren's midsection was bandaged too. He was nearly out of Aura. He'd exhausted himself from fighting for hours and had never been as conditioned as some of his peers at Beacon. But Blake was gone once again, and thus she wasn't safe. Ren forced himself to his feet, even though it pained him.

"Ren, what is it?" Nora inquired, trying to reach after him, only to be stopped by her own wounds.

"Blake," Ren answered simply, gesturing his head towards the clone she'd left. It'd finish its decay shortly, and fade away into wisps of Aura. Nora turned her attention to it, watching Yang unconsciously try to squeeze the hand still holding her own, only for 'Blake's fingers to crumble to dust in her grip.

Nora quickly recovered from the sight and summoned what strength she had to take hold of Ren's pant leg. "No," she firmly told him, though she kept her voice down. "No, not this time. Not after what I found. Not after what I _saw_."

She was right to be concerned. Ren knew there was a beast within him, but he hadn't known himself capable of such savagery. He may have been easily able to vent such monstrous aggression on the Grimm, but on a man... he had never found such depths before. And Nora was afraid he might find a darkness even deeper within him.

"I won't let her go," Ren firmly replied.

"Please, Ren," Nora pleaded, "Don't chase her. Don't let her see this side of you."

Blake had made her feelings clear. She didn't want to see the beast emerge again. She didn't want _him_.

"I'm not bringing her back for me," Ren told her. "I'm bringing her back for Yang. And Ruby and Weiss. And Jaune and Pyrrha when they get back. And… and Sun."

It was another lie, but when he choked out Sun's name he thought it sounded genuine. Ren hoped that somewhere beneath his single-minded obsession, he really did have a noble goal in mind.

Nora was trying to stand, but her wounds held her down. She hadn't taken a sword to the stomach like Ren had, but she wasn't letting obsession fuel her to the point she could forget her pain. "That's not why you're going. And the reason you are -this _thing_ that's driving you- she doesn't want it, Ren. She doesn't _want_ you to save her."

Nora was right, of course. Blake hadn't run because she wanted someone to chase after her. But that didn't matter to Ren. All that mattered was she was no longer safe, and he had the power to do something about that. "I'm going to bring her back."

Nora looked at the floor. Once again, she released her grip on him, and let him go. Ren promised himself he'd thank her for putting up with this madness of his when he found her again, when all was said and done.

But Ren had barely staggered twenty feet when his old teacher Port rushed in his path, moving faster than Ren thought any man so bulbous possibly could. "Please, Mr. Ren… may I remind you this is a _mandatory_ evacuation. I really must insist that you stay here and board your shuttle when you are able."

Ren was frustrated by the interruption, but managed to contain his anger and stay focused. "My friends are still fighting, Professor. I can help them. I _will_ help them."

Port shook his head. "Young man, make no mistake: it pains me to know that my students are still trapped in this warzone. I am _acutely_ aware of how dire their situation is, trapped with a Grimm as ancient as the one above our heads. But I am a huntsman, and there are people here I can help. It is our responsibility as huntsmen to save as many lives as we can, and the brave people running back to fight the Grimm are not the lives we should concentrate on."

He was right, of course. If Ren had the energy to assist anyone, he should've helped the citizens. That was what a huntsman did. That was what he wanted to do, and what he'd intended to do, for the rest of his life.

But not today. Today, the only life he wanted to save –more even than Pyrrha's and Jaune's, more even than his dearest friends- was the one that had found safety and then run from it. It didn't matter to him if she didn't want to be found, it didn't matter to him if she didn't feel what he felt: he just wanted to bring her back.

"But I'm _not_ a huntsman, professor," Ren finally argued. "And it seems now… I never will be. And you're right, I could do more to help. But I can't just abandon the people here, even if they can fight without me. They're not just my friends; they're the people I love. They are all I have in this world now."

It was _almost_ the truth.

Port's expression softened. "I suppose you're right, that it _is_ unfair to impose such a burden before you've graduated… before you even finished a year. While I do not approve of this course of action, I won't stop you. I won't judge you for fighting for what's important to you."

Port had been very encouraging of Ren and Ren had been one of his best students. Ren knew he'd disappointed him, but that too was just a small thought easily smothered by the weight of his obsessive need to go back. "Thank you, Professor," he said, staggering past.

"Mr. Ren, whatever you think you can accomplish…" Port began, thinking on how to follow up, "…I trust you remember where the weak spots are." Ren nodded. "Then I wish you well, and expect you to find your way back to the Safe Zone with whomever you can retrieve."

Ren dashed ahead, ignoring his wounds. Port sighed to himself before resuming his help in the evacuation. Nora finally looked up from the ground, spotting Ren's retreating back as a green blip in the distance.

He'd never stopped. He'd still loved Blake, even after it had ended; even if Blake had never loved him back. And Ren was risking his life, risking his friendships, risking his very soul for her.

Nora tried not to think about it, but it was the only thing on her mind. Whatever happened at the end of the night, whoever emerged from the battle, she'd lost him, and never told him how she felt.

Nora drove her fist into the pavement, taking a moment to vent her anger against the dry rocks before dragging herself over to sit beside Yang, keeping watch over her. Someone had to honor Weiss's request and keep her safe -and of all people- Nora was the only one left to carry out her duty. She never expected there'd come a time Ren wasn't around to be the responsible one.

But then, she'd never expected he'd fall in love, or that love would be so powerful it would change him from the Ren she knew.

* * *

The White Fang had nearly completed their evacuation, but for one crucial detail: the man who coordinated their offensive was missing in action. The soldiers knew the Grimm were going to seize the entirety of the Beacon campus, with reinforcements constantly summoned from an elder wyvern circling Beacon tower. They had to retreat and withdraw, but their leader had yet to return.

Their course of action was clear: leave him behind, and if he died, dismiss him as too weak to have held the reins of command and move on. There would be a brief period of infighting and possibly open conflict, but eventually the strongest among them would rise to the top and claim the mantle of leadership, or they'd be absorbed by another chapter capitalizing on their instability and weakness.

But for whatever reason, they delayed, perhaps out of some sense of loyalty, or perhaps because they sought to avoid conflict amongst themselves. Either way, it proved to be a prudent choice.

Because their leader was _not_ weak. He'd been wounded, maybe even beaten, but he was alive, and he still had his obsession to fuel him. The boy who'd bested him in combat had made the mistake of letting him live.

Even with half a Grimm mask pressed to his face and blood obscuring one eye, even with wounds that should've killed him, Adam Taurus staggered out of the ruins of Beacon, leaning on his sword like a crutch and dragging himself to a Bullhead, plopping down in the passenger bay beside his troops, keeping a brave, stoic face even as he bled all over his seat.

Blake was still alive and he had yet to break her. Adam couldn't die until that single mission was completed. Until he had his love once again, and she could never leave him again. So long as the beast within him howled for its opposite within her, he would survive, and let his hate keep him going.

And the boy in green… the boy who dared to touch what was his… well Adam would go through the trouble of finding him so he could present Blake with his head, to remind her no one loved her like he did.

As the Bullhead took off and headed out past the cliff's edge and over the lake, Adam glanced back at the tower, watching as it was engulfed in some sort of explosion composed of silver light…

* * *

Cinder had been badly wounded by… something. She tried to find her way to her feet, but could only move one arm to push herself up. There was something wrong with her vision, because her depth perception had changed, tightening her field of view. She felt warm blood on the left side of her face, and all of her joints ached. Whatever struck her had dealt damage like she'd never fought before.

Had it been the ancient wyvern? No, she recalled crying out in surprise… she recalled seeing a burst of light, an energy like none she'd ever seen a Grimm emit. Her memory was hazy. It all happened so fast…

There was someone else nearby, some small body lying prone on the tower a few feet away from her. Cinder recognized the form… she'd met the person before, but where?

It was so hard to think… she was in so much pain…

Cinder tried to stand but fell again. Her vision was growing hazier and her body was getting heavier…

That girl… that girl did this to her… that novice, that mere child…

Cinder should kill her while she was vulnerable. But Cinder could barely move. She kept fading in and out. She wasn't sure how much blood she'd lost –was still losing- only that the amount smearing the broken floor of what had once been Ozpin's office seemed to increase every time she faded out.

This couldn't be how it ended. She'd finally achieved her dream and claimed the power she'd been seeking… and now she was going to die because of some teenaged girl?

Not now. Not tonight. Not ever.

But she couldn't move. She could feel her Aura fading, she could feel the Maiden's powers growing more distant…

She felt strong hands take hold of her and hoist her up. She heard a familiar voice ask her how she was. She heard another familiar voice urge them to hurry and escape from this place.

Slowly they came into focus. Mercury was carrying her on his back. Emerald was directing him down the tower, clearing debris in the way.

They hadn't abandoned her. They'd come to save her, even when she'd been vulnerable. Emerald had been in on the plan: she could easily have ensured she was the last thing Cinder saw, then finished the job the silver-eyed girl started and stolen the Maiden's power for herself.

Cinder had no idea she'd been able to inspire loyalty. She'd never have expected a day would arrive when they would come to save her… or that she'd ever _need_ to be saved. Yet here they were, escorting her out of the ruins and away from danger.

How strange that even among thieves and assassins, there was reason to forge a bond…

* * *

Blake had not intended to encounter anyone. She was looking for a place to keep herself concealed and away from the Grimm, working her way through the outskirts of the school campus, stopping only to retrieve her weapons from the ruins of the cafeteria. From there she took the long way around, following the cliff's edge along the lake. It had never occurred to her she might find anyone else while she skulked along. It hadn't crossed her mind that she might _want_ to find someone else.

Blake hadn't seen her until the opening round of the tournament, but Ruby had given her a thorough description beforehand. Seeing Mercury carrying her –despite allegedly having long since left to return to Haven- and Emerald guiding them confirmed her suspicions. Wounded though she was, this was the woman who'd hijacked the broadcast and tried to turn the kingdoms against each other. Blake wasn't sure if she was the one who brought in the Grimm and the White Fang, but it seemed logical that they'd collaborated the assault, rather than independently decided to attack the kingdom at the exact same time.

She brought this destruction to the home Blake had tried to establish. She'd turned Grimm loose on innocent people. She'd allowed Adam to…

Blake had intended only to run. But now she had a slightly different goal in mind. Now she thought it might be only fitting to return the favor and strike while the enemy was vulnerable.

Blake unsheathed her blade and emerged from the shadows, driving it into the woman's back, through some sort of tattoo just below her shoulders and uncovered by her tattered red dress. She screamed in pain and surprise as blood and wisps of Aura rose from the new wound.

Mercury jumped ahead, pulling the girl on his back along with him and out of range of Blake's attack. Emerald drew her kusarigama and moved to intercept Blake, replacing Mercury's position with astonishing speed. Mercury turned around to face Blake, Cinder's bloodied head resting on his shoulder as she glared at her assailant.

Cinder's mind was still foggy, but she recognized her at once. Cinder had very deliberately positioned this Faunus girl for Ozpin to select, even if the plan had fallen through. And now this Faunus had wounded her.

Cinder tried to order Mercury to kill her, but her voice was only a low, scratchy murmur. Mercury quietly whispered: "Try not to talk."

It was kind of him to offer his aid, but Cinder had no patience for the gesture now. Not while another girl who drew her blood continued to breathe. Fortunately, Emerald seemed to understand her mistress's intentions and moved to attack, only for Blake to clash her blade against both of her opponent's.

Blake couldn't hope to defeat both Emerald and Mercury, but she certainly could deal with their boss. It was a cruel task, but this woman had earned it. What she did to Yang merited Blake's sword.

Blake left a shadow clone for Emerald to fight, and then she dashed ahead to slash at Cinder and Mercury again. She expected Mercury to dodge to his left, and adjusted her strike accordingly, only to see Mercury had not changed position at all, and her blade passed through his left arm without striking Aura or drawing blood.

An illusion?

Mercury and Cinder disappeared from view as Emerald capitalized on Blake's confusion and kicked her in the back, knocking her to the crumbling stone floor. "You're not the only one with tricks, kitten."

Blake cursed herself for going in unprepared. Her desire to attain some measure of vengeance for Yang had led her to fall into a trap, and now she couldn't find where Cinder had retreated to. She tried to compose herself, but knowing she'd been outmaneuvered infuriated Blake.

She clashed her blades with Emerald again, trying to multitask and measure her Aura, and how much she could invest and utilize her Semblance. Unfortunately, Blake was already wounded and exhausted, and Emerald at least _seemed_ to be fresher… assuming that wasn't just an illusion, and the real girl had disappeared after her mistress. Blake tried to listen intently, tried to sniff at the air, to find some clue as to where her enemy lay, if she couldn't trust her eyes. The bow on her head was stifling her extra ears. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and dust from the devastation. Blake couldn't perceive anything more than her eyes had already conveyed.

And her anger… Blake was trying to gain some measure of revenge for Yang, but she couldn't focus on the task. Emerald was not her target; she was inconsequential. If Blake wanted to strike back against her enemy today, she needed Cinder. She needed to cut the head off the snake.

Blake had made her bleed. That meant Blake could kill her.

Blake didn't kill Torchwick when the opportunity presented itself. Blake had tried not to kill living people since she'd left the White Fang, but that didn't mean she'd lost the ability to do so. And some people… some people merited it.

* * *

The Grimm sensed the emotions. Most had been drawn by the presence of the old one in the absence of Aura to hunt, but a new source was drawing them, summoning them with its call. Perceiving through the dark and ruins, the Grimm approached it: negative energy concentrated together, as sorrow and anger mingled together.

Beowolves and Ursa began to surround the source, as a Faunus fought against empty air, striking with her blade and bullets at the void. Slowly, they drew around her, each waiting for their opportunity to move in, while the young and undisciplined among them approached the girl, driven by their own anger and hate to strike out at any source of Aura before them.

The Faunus girl turned her attention to them, fending off the younger specimens with relative ease. But the elders were encircling her, cutting off her escape route, preparing a simple but effective tactic to ensure her demise. When she realized she'd been surrounded, she kept glancing in every direction, searching for any weak spot, any hope for escape. She realized she'd been deceived and was slowly recognizing she was trapped.

There was no hope within the Grimm, only the same despair that was slowly growing within her. Only the same anger and frustration that had beckoned them forth. Only the same darkness that would inevitably consume them all.

The Grimm prepared to destroy their prey… when an even deeper darkness took a step towards them. They turned their heads, each responding to the negative energy, a force so potent it overwhelmed their senses and masked the Aura of the Faunus they'd deliberately ensnared.

The Grimm saw only two points of light in the darkness, brilliant pink eyes that seemed to burn in the deep and formless dark. They were the last lights any of those Grimm bore witness to, as one by one they were cut down or shot to pieces. They could not even retreat from their own demise, they were so paralyzed by fear.

As the Grimm disappeared in wisps of black smoke, the source of darkness placed a hand to its chest and counted its heartbeats, slowly returning to its default state, to a human with a source of Aura…

Ren turned his attention to Blake. She looked at each of the destroyed Grimm rather than meet her former lover's eye.

"We need to talk," Ren gently informed her.

* * *

Emerald had regrouped with them before her battle with Blake could reach a second gear. Cinder would've encouraged Emerald to return to the fight and kill the annoying Faunus, but she could barely speak. Any words she did manage were little more than a strangled gasp.

Blake Belladonna had wounded her, and Cinder was still leaking blood and Aura. She swore to repay that loss tenfold once she was healed, once she could bring the full weight of her power to bear, and the little criminal could die at the hands of a Maiden.

It was the last thought Cinder had before she nodded off on Mercury's shoulder, her loyal acolytes shepherding her safely from the ruins of Beacon.

* * *

"We've never needed many words," Blake replied firmly. "I don't think I owe you any explanation anyway."

Ren tried to calm the part of himself reacting to her presence. He'd willingly released the beast twice now, and it would be only too easy to act in accordance with his other side, to join with it in pursuit of Blake. But he was able to concentrate on the situation, and the necessity of leaving. "I'm not asking you to explain yourself. Now… or ever. I just want you to come back. I just want you to be safe."

" _Where_ is safe, Ren?" Blake asked, her tone becoming harsh. "We thought Beacon was safe and look where that got us."

"Safe is with…" Ren concentrated very hard to say the right thing, rather than what he wanted to tell her. "…with your friends. Your teammates will keep you safe and you'll keep them safe-"

"I can't protect them," Blake interjected. "I can't keep anyone safe. No one will be safe when I'm with them, don't you understand?"

Ren understood Blake had been afraid of Adam, and fled from him. Ren understood why someone might lose faith in themselves after Beacon fell. But that rational part of his mind was being droned out by the howls of a beast, who wished only to have its opposite at its side again. Still, he tried to appeal to Blake's sense of duty or camaraderie and not his own whims. "Your friends wouldn't want you to run. They'd rather be in danger than not have you in their lives."

"My friends would rather be safe," Blake shot back. "They have families –they have homes- they can go back to. If they'd never met me, they'd never…" Again she refused to meet his eye. "…they'd never have been hurt."

No wound had ever cut as deep as Blake. But Ren refused to let that thought deter him. "Not all your friends have somewhere to return to."

He glanced back towards the docks, wondering if there would still be a ship waiting. Blake briefly considered running, but thought on his words… she'd been half-dazed after eating an enormous meal, but she faintly remembered Nora mentioning something before Team JNPR's match.

"Beacon was my home, and I have nowhere to go," Ren explained. "But that _won't matter to me_ if my friends are safe. I'm sure your team feels the same way. We don't need a school or a dorm room or… or a library to feel at home. We just need our friends. Your friends need you. I…"

 _I need you. I want you safe. I don't care what it costs me._

 _I love you._

Ren ignored the monster raging beneath his skin. "…I just want you to go back to them. I just want you to stay with the people who care about you. I just want you to be safe."

Blake was silent for several seconds. She watched him intently, holding her gaze on him far longer than she had before.

Slowly, deliberately, Blake unclasped her bow, revealing her second set of ears; revealed her other side, revealed her true self. "Is that _all_ you want?"

Ren could hear her heart beating. He heard –however faintly- her other side calling to his, heard her second voice resonate within him.

Ren tried to hold her gaze and not stare at her ears. "No, it's not," he answered honestly. "But I know that I'm not the one you want. I know you… I know this isn't what's meant to be."

"And what do you want?" Blake pressed.

Ren just wanted to say the words. He just wanted to meet her eye and see her as she was, and for her to embrace him, to know his other side. He just wanted things to be as they were.

The beast within him knew the course of action. It howled, ringing in his ears to pursue her, to claim her and be made whole. Blake's other side wished for him to take a similar course. Even now, even after all she'd said, when they were alone together, she still felt it.

"I want to finish what I began," Ren answered. He steeled himself, remembering how his failure before had devastated him. He would not stay his hand now. "And say what I need to say.

"I love you, Blake," Ren firmly told her. "And you're right, that _hasn't_ changed just because I know things are over. I know how heavy those words are, I know how weighty is the burden. And no matter what you do, no matter if you stay or if you go, that won't ever stop being true."

Blake's eyes widened. Her mouth hung agape. Ren held her gaze, refusing to look away now. He wanted her to see the strength of his conviction. He wanted her to know that he had not allowed his fear and doubt to decide his course.

And Blake looked away. "You… why… how can anyone… why would-"

Ren stepped towards her. He had to make her face him, had to lock her eyes with his. If she could be strong, he could bring her back. If he could just reach her now, maybe he could save her.

He had not come to claim her. He had not come to force her hand. He just wanted her to go back.

When Ren reached for Blake's chin, he stopped his hand from forcing her gaze upwards. Instead he gently placed his hand on her cheek.

The beast screamed at him to complete the task, to make her his own. Ren suspected if he didn't complete the motion, his confession would be lost, like every other set of brief words before a fierce wind. All he had to do was turn her head, and she would…

She would do what _he_ wanted her to do.

Ren had successfully fought against impulse for most of the conversation. If he surrendered now, perhaps he could sway Blake to return with him, but he'd do so having appealed to her own beast, rather than the woman… the one he'd confessed his feelings to.

Slowly, Ren retracted his hand from her cheek. Sliding his fingers from her flesh felt akin to chopping off his hand.

"Where will you go?" Ren asked after a long silence.

"I… I don't know," Blake admitted. "Somewhere else. Some other continent. Somewhere across the sea. I don't know."

"I'm sure you have your reasons," Ren told her. "But your friends would never abandon you. Why would you do this to them?"

"You don't know Adam like I do," Blake told him. "You don't know what he's capable of. If I'm with them, they'll never be safe."

Ren wanted to tell her how he'd dealt with Adam. He wanted to assure her he could protect her from this man from her past. He just wanted her to stay.

Ren grimly nodded. "Then I wish you well. I hope you can find your way back, when the time is right."

It hurt him just to remove his hand from her. Turning his back was excruciating, as the beast howled to its opposite, betraying the truth to Blake.

He'd told her the truth. He knew she felt the same. If he'd just managed to look her in the eye a second time, she'd take his hand in her own and return with him to safety. But she was convinced that her friends would be safer with her further from them.

And whatever he could've convinced her, she did not love him. Her other side may have, but the one she showed the world did not. Once she put that bow back on, she'd remember who she was and what she wanted.

"Ren," she called to his back. "Did you mean it?"

It would've been so much easier to walk away before she asked. "I never say what I don't mean."

His other side called out to hers'. He faintly heard her take a step towards him…

Then she ran in the opposite direction, disappearing into the shadows. Ren's other side howled into the empty dark, while the boy in love raised a hand to rub the tears from his eyes.

Blake wasn't the only one who'd been lost in the ruins of Beacon. And while Blake may have been lost to him, she at least had a direction she intended to go. She may not have been safe, she may not have been with him, but she was going where she wished to. And Ren hadn't forced her to be someone she didn't wish to be.

Ren pressed his hand to his chest, counting his heartbeats. The beast within him refused to rise to the surface, having lost any reason to emerge. Though drowning in sorrow, Ren focused himself on his task. Jaune, Pyrrha, Ruby, and Weiss were still out there and he had to bring them back.

He'd told her the truth. It was a terrible burden to love her, knowing she couldn't return the words. But it was less of a burden to count beats from a broken heart than to be weighed down by having never told her.

Slowly, Ren found it… the balance he'd needed. It wasn't a happy thought, to know he'd lost the woman he loved a second time, but at least he wasn't alone with the thought any longer.

Ren concealed his Aura in an obscuring gray cloak and set out to find his friends.

* * *

"We're not leaving," Nora insisted.

"Miss Valkyrie, this is the only transport still docked," Port argued. "It may not be at capacity, but the Grimm could reach this position at any time. We simply do not have the luxury of waiting."

"It is our duty as huntsmen to steward the welfare of the civilians in times of crisis," Oobleck agreed. "And we cannot afford to gamble with those lives."

"My teammates… and Yang's…" Nora tried to find the words. For the moment, it seemed she and Yang were the only ones left. Were the others…?

Was Ren…?

"Miss Valkyrie, I understand how you feel," Oobleck tried to appeal to her. "But we have an obligation to help who we can. We cannot let our feelings interfere with our duty. We cannot afford to be sentimental, even for our students." He took a rare pause for breath. "Or our friends."

Nora couldn't argue the point. But if she and Yang were alone, if all their friends were gone… if Ruby and Weiss and Blake were gone… if Jaune and Pyrrha were gone… if _Ren_ was gone…

Yang had a home to return to. Where would Nora go? What would she have? She'd be alone, for the first time since…

She saw something in the distance and pointed past her professors. "Look."

Port and Oobleck turned, obscuring her vision. All Nora had seen was a moving shadow. She staggered to her feet, reaching to raise her hammer.

"Well, well," Port mused. "It seems you were right, Mr. Ren."

 _Ren_?

Port and Oobleck moved to help him. When they approached him at either side, Nora saw them help alleviate a heavy burden, helping to carry Jaune and Weiss, whom Ren had apparently carried back to the landing platform with him.

He helped carry Jaune into the ship, then returned for Nora, offering her a shoulder to lean on. Nora was only too quick to accept, leaning on him as he accompanied her to the ship.

"Any others?" Oobleck asked. Ren shook his head and Oobleck tapped twice against the hull of the ship, calling up to the pilot: "Get us out of here!"

Once Ren found Nora a seat he collapsed beside her, leaning against the wall of the transport as its cargo doors sealed up. Nora glanced around them, at Jaune, Weiss, Yang, Sun, and the teachers…

"Did you find Pyrrha? Or Ruby?" Nora asked. "Or Blake?"

Ren only shook his head. His eyes were glazed over and unfocused.

Nora nodded. "Okay. It's okay. You did what you could."

He'd brought Jaune back. That was something. He'd brought Weiss back. At least Yang wasn't alone with her wound.

And Nora… Nora worried for Pyrrha, wondered if she was still out there, but so long as she had Ren, she could finally rest again.

* * *

She saw through the illusion when a gust of wind disrupted it. She reared herself back and prepared for the fight.

Two assailants struck. One had legs made of metal that did nothing to conceal his presence on a narrow dirt road. The other seemed much like the girl she'd used as a decoy to play on her sympathies, only older and far crueler.

A third joined them, fighting with weapons made of glass. She was overwhelmed, but only temporarily. These would-be usurpers may have coveted her power, but they could not hope to stand against it. She could command the wind, she could alter the temperature of every molecule of air. She could fend off these vagabonds.

But somehow they got the better of her, and their leader, a woman with long black hair and piercing amber eyes, slid on a long white glove and held it over her face.

"Please, don't," she heard herself beg.

She saw a monstrous, spindly black leg emerge from that glove, as a creature of Grimm began to claw its way out and reach towards her…

And Blake woke with a start, trying to catch her breath. She glanced around her for any signs of Grimm, but they hadn't found her hiding spot. Not yet.

She tried to calm herself down. It wasn't a memory… when she tried to attack Cinder they'd still been in Beacon, and not a dirt road. She'd had no powers to bring to bear against Cinder and her minions.

Maybe it hadn't mattered. She'd never have become a Maiden anyway. She'd never been worthy.

But now that she was conscious, she _could_ recall other events of the night, namely when Ren found her, and held her cheek, and said…

Blake tried not to think on it. Her sadness would call the Grimm to her, and she wanted to rest a while longer in this hiding place before she fled. She couldn't let herself think on the moment, or the words he'd said.

She tried to think on a better time, in the library, in their sanctuary… when she'd cast her bow aside and let him see her…

Blake unconsciously reached up to feel the top of her head, poking her left high ear. Blake then frantically searched around her for her bow, eventually finding it a few feet away, trying to tie it back in place, fumbling her hands over the fabric.

She couldn't quite get it on… she kept missing the right spot to tie the string. Blake stopped trying for a moment, and took notice of how her hands were shaking.

He loved her. He loved her as she was.

He loved her and she did nothing.

The sadness was overpowering now. She couldn't dwell on it, she couldn't broadcast her location to the Grimm, but she couldn't escape it now.

Blake forced her bow in place, no matter how tightly it pressed down on her ear. She needed to think of something –anything- else but who she was when she was with Ren.

He didn't know what loving her meant. He didn't understand how much it would hurt.

She was running for him too. If Adam knew she loved someone – _really_ loved someone- then he'd never stop until Ren was dead.

She thought when she'd broken away from him she'd be able to move on. She thought when she'd broken up with him she could just stop feeling this way, and for a time it seemed to work.

Now… now, if he'd just… never said it…

When he held her cheek, all he needed to do was turn her head. All he needed to do was look Blake in the eye and she'd have followed him back.

But she couldn't go back. She couldn't let her friends get hurt. She couldn't let _Ren_ be hurt. Not anymore.

It was a lonely road ahead for her, but if her friends were spared Adam's wrath, the pain would be worth it.

As she rested a while longer, she thought back to that day in the library, when Ren had been prepared to tell her how he felt.

And she thought on the words she wished she'd said at that moment: _I love you too_.

* * *

Ren awoke nearly half a day later in one of the Atlas barracks set up in the Safe Zone. Nora and Jaune were sitting in a cot across from him, and Nora reached over to help him sit up. "Easy," she instructed. "You were out for a while."

"You had us worried there," Jaune confirmed.

Ren knew which name he wanted to ask after, but put his own wish aside. He glanced between them, then around the room, and knew whom he had to inquire about. "Where's Pyrrha?"

Jaune's expression darkened. Nora's grip tightened on him, before she broke down and pulled him into a tight hug. Looking past Nora's orange head, Ren tried to meet Jaune's eye, and all he could manage was: "She's gone."

Ren had never thought it possible. But there were others unaccounted for. "Ruby?"

"She's okay," Jaune assured him. "Her uncle found her and got her out. She and Yang are on their way home."

That was encouraging news at least. "Anyone else?"

"Did you find Blake? She just… disappeared from the docks," Jaune asked.

Ren thought carefully on his answer. He'd never told Jaune about her. He'd never told Pyrrha either… and now it seemed he wouldn't get the chance to. He merely shook his head. "No."

He hated to lie. But all Jaune would do would be try to help… and Ren wouldn't let him chase her. She didn't wish to be chased. The beast within him gave another howl, but Ren didn't betray this surge of emotion to Jaune.

Ren pulled Nora closer to him. She needed his support now, and holding her in his arms, the beast's wails didn't seem so loud.

"Pyrrha," he heard Nora whisper.

"I know," Ren agreed. He'd thought letting Blake go would be the worst pain he'd feel. He'd never expected to lose two women he loved, in whatever way he'd loved them. "It's okay. I'm here."

Nora squeezed him tight, and Jaune reached over to put a hand on each of their shoulders.

The three had lost something, and had nowhere to go now. Jaune had a home to return to, but he couldn't truly come back from Beacon without his partner. Ren and Nora had only each other to call home now.

And Jaune, whom they pulled in to join them, to share in their grief.

* * *

 _Six Months Later, Kuroyuri_

Holding hands with someone signified that they were important to you; that you cared about them. It wasn't an admission of love… just a sign of affection, and the first act of doing so sealed a bond between two people.

Nora had held his hand many times before. She'd taken that step, and always been the one to initiate contact. Ren hadn't been the one to take the lead since they'd huddled together in the ruins of Kuroyuri, and even then she'd pressed further along by embracing him.

It hadn't been in him to initiate the act. He'd never known how she'd respond, or what she'd think. But now, after she'd saved his life against a monster from their past, after she'd brought him back to the ground when his emotions ran out of whack…

For a brief moment, he'd allowed the monster in his soul out, and lost focus, and the even more monstrous Nuckelavee had nearly killed him. If it hadn't been for Nora bringing him back, he'd have died and perhaps his friends would've died too.

He didn't know what it meant. He didn't know if it would change anything between them, but he was ready to take that step. He took her hand in his own.

Nora was briefly taken aback, before she turned to look at him, then down at his hand, as she squeezed it. She smiled at him, looking so happy, even with her eyes turning watery. She leaned over to him, resting her head on his shoulder and holding him close.

There was another side of him, and Nora had seen it now. Before today, he'd only ever shown it to the woman he loved.

He wondered if that had changed.

Blake was still out there somewhere, and perhaps he still felt the same as he did when Beacon fell. But he felt, if nothing else, Nora could also see him as he was. If nothing else, he could trust her with knowing the real him.

She'd supported him when he'd been with Blake. She'd held him when his heart was broken. She'd pulled him back when the beast had controlled him.

He didn't know if he could say the words, but if he did, he may well mean them.

He wouldn't say them. Not yet.

But if today had taught him anything, it was that he _could_ move on from the past.

* * *

 _The Boat to Menagerie_

Blake took hold of her bow, unclasping it from her head and exposing her ears. She held the tiny piece of fabric for a long moment over the boat railing, staring down at the thin black line in her hand.

For so long it had been her way of disguising herself, but more than that, of containing the animal within and without. She had no more reason to hide who she was, now that she'd be returning home, to the one place in all the world Faunus would be accepted without question.

Still, she hesitated to complete the step. She thought, however briefly, how much she'd enjoyed when _he_ removed it, when he marked the difference between who she was and who she pretended to be. How much she'd enjoyed showing her true self only to someone she loved.

She no longer had the need... or the luxury. "Won't be needing this."

She cast it into the sea, and stepped back along the deck. Blake hoped that she could simply let her past sink beneath the waves, and she could move on from it...

But even now, months later, she still heard him say the words. She still felt his hand pull the bow from her head, and still saw him smile at the sight of her ears, and her true self.

It'd fade in time. Everything did.

* * *

 _The First Semester_

Blake glanced over from her book towards Ren. He was holding a textbook in one hand, his right clumsily outlining some notes on a piece of paper. Though he was normally quite precise, somewhere in his haste he accidentally punched a hole through the thin sheet, and in trying to correct his error, accidentally dropped the pencil to the floor.

Both Blake and Ren reached for it. Their fingers briefly brushed against one another. Both retracted their hands and shyly averted their gaze before returning to their respective works.

But as the day wore on, Blake glanced back at Ren's hand, now resting against the couch, idle. She looked him over, up and down, before returning her attention to his fingers and palm.

It was a dangerous thing to feel what she knew she was feeling. She'd been here before, and seen how it ended.

But that didn't matter. She wanted to know. She wanted to see where it might lead.

She took Ren's hand in her own. He was surprised at first, looking over at her, as she cast him a shy smile.

He squeezed her hand and returned that smile. It was so rare to see him do that, she thought even the small display of emotion was an incredible bounty.

Blake's smile grew wider as she leaned in closer, resting against him, interlocking fingers…

Who knew where it might've led?

She didn't, and for once, she was okay with that. She wanted nothing more than to be there, with him. How she wished the moment could last.

For now, she'd just make it last as long as possible… and see what happened next.


End file.
